Challenging Alexis
by Luce17
Summary: Soulfinder conventions are the latest idea of the Savant Net, where savants from across the globe meet once a year to see if they can find their soulfinder. Sounds great, right? Who wouldn't want to meet their perfect partner? Meet Alexis Anderson. She despises the very idea of soulfinders. How will she cope when she meets Will Benedict?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is my new FS fanfiction. It's going to be a Will/ Alexis story, and is set after Seeking Crystal (although she's not going to be from Amsterdam- sorry!). I'm not sure if their ages will quite fit with the Benedict timeline, but I've made Alexis and Will 24, so, hopefully, it shouldn't be too out of sync with the books. I hope you like it! Please leave a review- any feedback is welcomed! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: All that you recognise belongs to Joss Stirling. Alexis et al, are mine, though.**

1:

Savant soulfinder conventions. Eurgh. I hated them. Hated them with every fibre of my being, and then some.

Soulfinder conventions were the brain child of the Savant Net- a rapidly growing organisation of savants, who dealt with issues in our culture, without alerting the general public to our presence. The Net was generally held in high regard- they had records of all savants, and kept tabs on us to ensure that we, and our powers, remained secret. It was they who introduced the concept of soulfinder conventions, as a result of a worldwide outcry from savants at how difficult it was for soulfinders to find one another.

It was all fine to start with- conventions were optional. But then, after a few years, attendance was made mandatory for all savants that the Net had on their books in order to increase matching rates. And so it became that, annually, there was a global convention whereby all savants aged 18 or over (minus those who had already found their soulfinders, or those who were married or in a serious relationship) were required to attend, whether they liked it, or not.

Unfortunately, I was 24, a savant, and single- so my attendance was non-negotiable. It was to be my first convention, something that I was less than thrilled about. Non-negotiable attendance had been brought in last year, but I'd managed to get lucky- coming down with a seriously bad case of the flu that had left me bedridden for a week, and physically unable to fly to Sydney, where the convention was being held that year. This year, I hadn't been so fortunate.

The unwelcome reminder about this year's convention came in the form of an innocent looking manila envelope, dropped through the door about two months ago. It had sat on my dining room table for at least two days, before I made myself open it- breaking the seal tentatively, but refusing to look at its contents for at least another week. The envelope had contained all manner of things relating to the convention: a leaflet about the Net, an itinerary for the day, a code of conduct, some forms for me to fill in and send back, but worst of all was the flyer emblazoned with a cheesy slogan about everlasting love, accompanied with a photograph of a nauseatingly cute couple fawning over each other. Ick.

Okay, so you might have figured that I'm really not into the whole 'soulfinder' and 'love at first sight (or thought!)' thing- the idea really didn't appeal to me. I don't want to be forced to love someone for the rest of my life, just because of some mystical connection that we don't really know that much about. I mean, who wants to be uprooted from their home, and forced to move half way across the globe all because some higher power deemed us fated to be together? I wanted to find someone, and fall in love on my own- what was so wrong with that?

I'd already tried my best to get out of this year's convention, which was to be held in Paris, before I'd even begun to fill out any of the forms that they'd sent. I'd written to them about a month ago, saying that I was incredibly sorry, but I couldn't possibly make the convention as I couldn't afford to travel there. Now, that was partly true. I was a newly qualified teacher, and my wages didn't exactly comfortably cover train tickets to Dover, and then the fare through the channel tunnel to Paris, not to mention the cost of staying in a hotel in the middle of the French capital. I was certain that I'd managed to get out of it, certain that they'd let it slide when I promised I'd begun saving for next year's convention, and would definitely be in attendance. Unfortunately, I was wrong. They sent plane tickets, a taxi service to collect me from my home and the airport in Paris, and a night in a four star Paris hotel before the convention- all expenses paid. And, as if to make matters worse, was the accompanying sincere letter offering to pay for all of my future convention trips. Drat.

Aside from the leaflet, the envelope also held a great amount of paperwork, designed to help organisers find our soulfinders. I had to fill out my date of birth, my estimated day of conception (now that would make for a very awkward conversation with my parents), if I was a premature or late baby, my nationality, a current photograph of myself, and numerous other questions. I was quite exhausted after filling out only half of the questions! Rumour in the savant community had it that the organisers had a soulseeker on their team, which meant that match making this year was almost guaranteed.

The itinerary for the day, included in the envelope, explained exactly how the convention would work. It was to begin at 9 prompt, and after registering, everyone was to go into a hall to watch a video on the savant net before the, and I quote, 'real fun' began. From what I could gather from the instructions, and accompanying photographs, the actual 'matching' process was rather like a massive speed dating event, whereby tables were laid out in a circle with chairs on either side. The women were to stay put on the outside chairs of the circle, whilst the men moved around on the chairs on inside of the circle, to allow them to speak to all available savants. The circle design seemed to work for both heterosexual and homosexual savants- for the homosexuals would simply move to the side of the circle that best suited them. In order to maximise matching, the itinerary explained that those of similar ages were placed near to each other, so matching should happen fairly quickly, if at all. Once matches were found, the couple would leave the circle, and their chairs were to be removed, so that the circle got smaller as the event progressed. The actual matching process seemed pretty straight forward- couples were given 1 minute to make a mind link with the person opposite, before a bell was rung to signal that the people on the inside who hadn't found a match were to move on to the next person, whilst those who had found a match were to leave the circle. This continued until every unmatched person on the inside of the circle had met every unmatched person on the outside of the circle- ensuring that no potential matches were missed. Once the matching was over, there was to be a party to celebrate the matches that had been made, before we all headed off back home.

Hopefully I'd be heading back home on my own, but who knew what would happen. After filling in most of my details I had to do the inevitable, and ring Mum to get the answer to my final question. Sighing, I grabbed the handset and dialled the familiar number.

"Hello" a chirpy voice answered.

"Hi Mum, it's me."

"Hello,me"

"Mum!" I groaned. "You know exactly who it is!" She laughed.

"Yes, Alexis. What's the matter?"

"I'm just filling in my details for the convention." She hummed appropriately. "And…" I sighed, here goes. "I need my estimated conception date for the forms. I was just wondering if you knew?"

She laughed gaily. "Oh, Alexis, I don't know if I could quite pin it down. Your father and I were just insatiable back then!" She sighed happily. "Mind you, what's changed?" She laughed again.

"Mum!" I cried out, aghast. "Major overshare!" I was quite happy pretending that my sickeningly in love soulfinder parents never had sex. In fact, I'd rather presume that my siblings and I all arrived by stork, like in that Disney film, 'Dumbo'.

I could hear her cackle in reply at the other end of the line "Oh, Alexis, you have so much to learn! Let me get your father- he might remember." I sighed, as I heard a muffled shout of "Brian!"

"Mum, honestly, you don't need to get Dad, just give me a rough estimation- it really doesn't matter if it's that accurate-"

"Nonsense, dear" she cut in "we want to give the most accurate information, so you get the best chance of meeting him!" There was movement on the other end of the line. "Honey, I'm putting you on speaker, so your father and I can both hear you."

"Okay", I sigh "But, Mum, this really isn't necessary- a rough estimation would be just fine. I was born on September the twentieth, so I'll put down Christmas Eve" I held my pen poised, and moved to fill in the date.

"Oh no, Alexis, don't put that! It definitely wasn't then!" My Dad replies. "We were staying at your Grandma's for Christmas in '88, and your brother, Jack, had to stay in our room overnight. Definitely not then!"

"Okay", I reply, "when then?"

"Maybe Christmas day?" My Mum questions "I pretended to have a headache, so that I missed the Christmas walk, and your father stayed to nurse me back to health, whilst everyone else went out…" The statement hung in the air for a moment, before it clicked…

"Mum! I did not need to know that!"

"I was an excellent doctor, wasn't I, darling?" My father murmured, and my mother giggled.

"Mmmmm" she sighed, "I felt so much better afterwards!"

"Mum, Dad, please!" I begged- I really didn't want to hear of their sexual escapades! "Was it definitely Christmas day, then?"

"Maybe it was boxing day, actually" My Dad answers "Do you remember, Liz, we sent Jack out to build a snowman, and told him to surprise us and build the biggest one he could? He was occupied for hours, which meant we had the house to ourselves…"

"Oh, yes!" My mother answered, "Now, that was an excellent idea of yours!" I felt sick. No wonder my Mum and Dad always encouraged me and my siblings to each build snowmen in the garden, whilst they, each year, conveniently found some excuse to stay inside. Well, they'd successfully ruined that family tradition!

"Guys, I'm just going to write down 'The Christmas period of '88'" I sigh, mentally scarred from this horrendous encounter.

"Mmm, that would probably be best, honey, we couldn't possibly pin it down, and it's best to cover all bases."

"Okay, fab." I sigh, relieved to leave this topic of conversation.

"Oh, love, could you come over later?" My Mum asks. Well, actually, my Mum never really asks- it's more of a demand. "Jack and Savannah have some news they want to share with us." Jack was my eldest brother, who, at 26, was the first of us three to find his soulfinder. He met her at a convention a couple of years ago, and they were hopelessly in love- so much so, that Savannah had moved all the way from Australia to rural Derbyshire, just so that they could be together.

"They're pregnant, aren't they?" I deadpan. The newlyweds had made no secret of their desire for a large family.

"I don't know" my Mother replies. "We'll find out later. They're coming at 2 this afternoon, so pop round for then won't you love?"

"Yeah, sure Mum" I acquiesce, despite the fact that I've got stacks of marking that I should be getting on with.

"Great!" She responds "I'll see you then, then. Now, I've got an appointment with my very own Dr Anderson" she purrs.

"Mmm, yes you have, darling" I hear my father reply.

"Okay, bye guys!" I blurt out quickly, hanging up the phone before they reply- not that I'd have gotten one anyway. I glance at the clock- it's just past one. Perhaps I'd get there for half two, just to be on the safe side. I really didn't want to walk in on something I shouldn't…

XXX

An hour and half later, and I'm stood outside my parents' front door. I've rang the doorbell multiple times, but there's still no answer. Frustrated, I tap my foot- thankful that at least I'm not stuck in a heavy April shower.

"Come on! Open the door" I mutter angrily to myself.

Just then, I hear a car pull onto the gravelled drive. I turn, and look to see Jack and Savannah. I smile and wave happily at them as Jack brings the car to a standstill, turns off the ignition, and races to the passenger side of the car to open Savannah's door for her, extending his hand to help her out of her seat. So, chivalry isn't dead! They stroll towards me, both grinning broadly.

Savannah throws her arms around my neck in greeting, whilst Jack gives me a welcoming smile. Gently extricating myself from her hug I ask "So, what's the big news, then?"

Savannah, now nestled back in Jack's arms grins broadly, and looks up at him. "Well" she begins, in her distinctive Aussie twang, looking back at me "We're" she's practically vibrating with excitement. They look up at each other and nod at each other- a silent form of communication between them, before they blurt out together "pregnant!" At the same time the door swings open, to reveal my mother, whose hair is dishevelled and glasses are askew. Before I have a chance to react, she squeals loudly, before launching herself at the pair, barrelling past me at such a rate that she knocks me off balance, and nearly causes me to fall off the porch. Wrapping her arms around her son and daughter-in-law, she squeezes them tightly.

"Careful, Mum! You're going to hurt the baby hugging her that hard!"

"Jack, I knew you were going to be one of those parents" I laugh.

He grins at me, unabashed, looping his arms gently around his petite wife, who looks adoringly up at him- pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw. He begins gently nudging her inside. I look at him questioningly. "I don't want her to catch a chill." He defends himself.

"Jack, it's the hottest day of the year so far" I deadpan. He follows Mum through the door, keeping Savannah tethered to him.

"Better safe, than sorry!" He replies, "besides, it's only April- that's practically winter!"

Shaking my head at his ridiculously overprotective nature I follow them into the house, and see Dad walking down the stairs, fumbling to fasten the top buttons of his shirt.

"Hey, Dad" I grin, as he envelops me in a hug. "Lexi" he greets, squeezing me comfortingly, before letting me go. Although his once black hair is now peppered with grey, he still acts as if he were thirty.

"Did you hear their news?" I ask, as we follow them through to the kitchen- the place where we all sit and talk as a family.

"Yeah. Looks like I'm going to be a Grandfather! When are you going to find your soulfinder Lex?"

I roll my eyes at his badgering, as we round the corner into the kitchen. He and my mother were both constantly pestering me about finding my soulfinder.

"Well, the convention's next weekend, so next week if I'm lucky" I smile, feigning excitement at the prospect. I take my seat at the table, as my mother claps her hands together gleefully, before busying herself- insisting that we all had a cup of tea.

It wasn't that I'd always hated the idea of soulfinders. In fact, it was quite the opposite. When we were growing up Mum and Dad had always told us about soulfinders, the connection they shared, and how magical the whole experience was. Every night, they'd tuck us each into our beds, telling us of soulfinder stories, whilst whispering how much they loved us. Growing up, I couldn't wait to finally meet my soulfinder. The man who would love and cherish me forever- made perfectly just for me.

But that all changed a couple of years ago. After what happened to my sister, I finally realised that the very notion of soulfinders was a fairy-tale concept- outdated and ridiculous. Although, it was great while it lasted, the repercussions of losing a soulfinder were just too much of a risk to take. The world was cruel, and the people in it even worse. I was broken out of my reverie by my mother.

"Are you meeting Alice in Paris, Alexis?" Mum asked. Alice was my younger sister, the sweetheart, and my best friend as well as my sister. We told each other everything. That's how I knew all about her soulfinder- where they met, what he was like, and when she lost him. My family didn't. Devastated from the loss, the cheerful, happy, and always upbeat Alice that we all knew and loved spiralled into a depression, of which only I knew the true cause. A talented artist- she moved to Paris to pursue her dreams, and to move on- trying to deal with the harsh reality of life without a soulfinder.

"Yeah" I reply "I'm meeting her at the airport, when I land. I'll get in at around 2 French time, so we're going to have lunch together"

My Mum clucked happily- glad to see that the Alice we knew was emerging once more. "It's so exciting that both of my girls are old enough to go to the convention!" My Mum squealed delightedly, wrapping her arms around me from behind, and squeezing me tightly. "Maybe both of you will meet your soulfinders, and we'll have two weddings this year! How would you feel about a double wedding, Alexis? You're both so close- it would be fabulous! A summer wedding would just be divine, wouldn't it? I think purple would be good as a colour scheme. Actually, maybe sky blue would be better. Your father could walk you both down the aisle together! I'd have to buy a spectacular outfit- I'd be a double mother of the bride! I know-"

"Hang on, Mum!" I laugh, cutting off her tirade. "No one is getting married." Her face dropped comically. She didn't realise that Alice was only going to the convention to take her name off the list. If your soulfinder died, you didn't get another one. So, for her, the convention would be pointless.

"If, Mum, if, I meet my soulfinder I'm definitely not getting married straight away. Anyway, I might not even like the guy!"

"Not like him?" She asked, incredulous. "Of course you'll like him- you're fated to be together!" And, she was off again- twittering on about star signs, and some higher power- flailing her arms dramatically as if to exaggerate her point. I zoned out, and, looking across the table at the rest of my family, so had they. It seemed cruel to let Mum entertain the idea that both Alice and I would be getting married to our soulfinders- for Alice no longer could, and I was totally against the idea, no matter what she said.

"Anyway, Mum" I said, cutting her off again. "I'd best be getting off- I've got tons of marking to do before Monday morning, lessons to plan, and I've got to pack for the convention." I got up, giving her a big hug, before turning to Dad to do the same. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

"Call us to let us know you've landed safely, won't you? And be careful. Paris is a dangerous city, there are pickpockets and-"I laughed- you could see exactly where Jack got his overprotective tendencies from!

"Dad, I'm 24, a grown woman, and am totally capable of looking after myself! I'll be totally fine, and if anything does happen, then you'll be the first to know. I promise."

His moustache twitched in grudging acceptance. "Just promise me you'll be careful- and look after your sister." I smiled- she'd managed nearly a year in Paris without my protection, but I wasn't about to mention that to him.

"I promise, Dad." Giving me a last quick hug he let me go, and I moved over to Savannah and Jack.

"Congratulations, you two! You'll be fabulous parents! Savannah, just let me know if his protectiveness gets too much, and I'll happily knock him into shape for you" I winked at her, whilst pointedly ignoring Jack, who was glowering at me as a result of my comment. Giving them both a quick hug, I made my way out of the kitchen, and towards the door.

"See you later" I yelled, slamming the door behind me, before heading off home to pack.

**Please, please leave a review! Constructive criticism is welcomed- I really want to know what you think! Also, would people like the whole story in Alexis' POV, or would you like some chapters written in Will's POV? Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is dedicated to 'nononononononono' and 'Bookworm', and my anonymous reviewer, for being my first reviewers- thank you so much for your feedback guys! (Bookworm- I totally get what you mean about description- I completely forgot to describe her! Ooops! In the next couple of chapters you should get a good idea of what she looks like!) **

**Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy chapter 3- it's a bit of a filler, but I don't want to rush the story, and this should help to explain some more about Alexis and her family. Please leave a review if you have time- all feedback is welcomed!**

My night was filled with seemingly never-ending amounts of marking from my year five class. Stories, maths tests- the pile seemed to never go down. My task was made easier by the glass of red wine by my side, coaxing me through the mountains of paper. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. Most of the kids are wonderful. In fact, all of the kids are wonderful, apart from Luke Hall. He was disruptive, rude, and downright irritating! I can't even express how much I wanted to unleash my savant power on him! I was known, in my family, as the persuader, for my power was ultimately persuasion. I could tamper with people's thoughts- planting images in their minds, forcing them to do things against their will. Not that I'd ever use it to my advantage. Okay, okay, when I was younger I quite often telepathically forced Jack and Alice to do my chores for me, but Mum and Dad usually caught me, and made me do their chores instead- so I had triple the workload. Needless to say, I soon kicked the habit.

It was the week before Easter at school, and all the kids were getting restless- more concerned with the copious amounts of chocolate Easter eggs that they would be soon consuming, rather than their education. Well, I can't blame them- I was the same when I was a child (and probably still am!). The convention was to be held on Saturday, and as the organisers had booked my plane ticket for early Friday morning, I had to have the Friday off of school. This meant I had to face Mrs Lee- the elderly, rotund headmistress with the personality of a Rottweiler and bite to match. I'd had to lie about the convention- for she wasn't a savant, so I ended up telling her that I was attending the funeral of my great Uncle Bob, who lived in Paris. I don't think she quite believed me, but considering I hadn't had a day off all year, and the last day was 'toy day', she didn't really have a choice. I'd have to be more creative when coming up with my lie for next year. Or, alternatively, I could tell the Net that I couldn't possibly get time off work during term time, so would be unable to attend. Score!

Pushing aside the now marked spelling test, I reached for a maths homework book which I'd yet to loot at. A quiet howl from the kitchen broke my marking daze. "Monty?" I called, wondering where my adorable, trouble-making, little golden Labrador puppy had gotten to. Wandering through to the kitchen I saw him sat on the tiles, looking extremely sorry for himself.

"What's up boy?" I asked him, clapping my hands together in an attempt to make him come to the doorjamb to meet me. He limped forward- his front paw seemed to be hurting him. Concerned, I scooped him up into my arms- careful not to put more pressure on his leg.

"Don't worry, baby" I cooed to him. "We'll ring Jack and 'Vannah- they'll sort you out no problem." Jack and Savannah were both vets, and very good ones too. Of course, their gifts helped them. Jack's savant power was that he had the ability to talk to animals. Odd, I know, but actually really useful- especially when there was a pesky spider in my room that needed moving! Savannah was a type of healer. Although not able to heal someone from pain, she was able to, instead, detect the location of the pain and what exactly caused the pain, allowing them to prescribe the best treatment for the animals I question. Together, they made an excellent team, and their business was thriving, with people flocking from miles around for their services. Their waiting list was nearly a month long, but thankfully, as I was family, I got to skip the waiting list.

Grabbing the phone from its cradle, whilst being careful not to jostle Monty, I dialled the vets.

"Hello, Anderson's veterinary practice. How may I help you?" The voice answered in the distinctive Aussie accent that I'd come to recognise so easily.

"'Van, is that you? Why are you working in reception?" I asked. There was a large huff on the other end of the phone, and I knew my hunch was right.

"Jack is being ridiculous, Lex, as usual. Now I'm pregnant he wants me to start working part-time in case the stress of the job becomes too much! And, to make matters worse, he's refusing to allow me to stand all day on my feet, and so has banished me to the reception desk to 'rest' for a while. I am 2 months pregnant, and barely showing! I'm not an invalid!" I desperately try to conceal a snicker at her annoyance.

"I'll have a word when I next see him 'Van. I'll sort him out, don't you worry."

"Thanks Lex, you're the best sister-in-law around! Anyway, I'm guessing there's something else you were ringing about. Is Monty okay?"

"I know, I know" I laughed "Yeah, I was ringing about Mont. He seems to have hurt his paw, and I was wondering if-"

She cut me off, concerned "Bring him in. We'll see to him right away."

"Thanks 'Van, I'll come now." We say our goodbyes, and I pop Monty in his carrier- despite the doleful brown eyes he's shooting at me.

"It's for the best Mont." I promise, "'Van and Jack will have you feeling better in no time."

XXX

A short while later we arrive at the vets. Monty starts to howl as soon as we get out of the car- it's as though he knows what's coming. Sighing, I walk towards the practice, carrier in hand. Approaching the reception desk I'm put straight through to 'Van and Jack's operating room, bypassing the waiting room, and pointedly ignoring all of the glares I'm receiving from those who are waiting with their pets for jumping the queue.

Walking into the operating room I see Jack enveloping 'Van in a tight hug.

"All resolved then?" I ask, popping Monty's carrier on the table, and unlatching the door. They break apart, smiling.

"Yeah" Van replies "We'll compromise on me working during the pregnancy, and, although his protective tendencies can be annoying, I'll learn to deal with them." Jack presses a kiss to the top of her head, before moving towards the table to take a look at Mont.

"What's up with the little guy then?" he asks, coaxing Monty out of his cage and onto the table. 'Van moves forward to get a closer look.

"His front paw seems to be bothering him" I say, as they begin their inspection.

Jack nods, "He does seem to have difficulty putting weight on it" watching as Monty hobbles along "I'll ask him what's wrong, and when it started hurting."

Now, I must admit, it's really rather bizarre watching my brother having a telepathic conversation with my pet. I still haven't quite gotten used to it. A few moments later he looks up, breaking the connection.

"Yeah, he says that his paw's really hurting him after he went on a walk earlier today. Maybe he stood on something? It seems most likely if it's only started hurting him today, and he's had no other problems. What do you think, 'Van?"

Savannah gently places her hand on his paw, and shuts her eyes. "From what I can sense, he seems to have something lodged in the paw, which is what's causing the pain. From what I can tell, it doesn't seem to be very big, and it hasn't punctured anything, or caused an infection, but we'll give him some antibiotics just in case, once we've removed it." I smile, relieved that the issue's so easy to fix.

Jack moves to grab a pair of tweezers from his equipment tray, whilst Savannah upturns Monty's paw so that he can remove the object. I stroke his fur comfortingly.

"It'll only hurt for a minute, Mont" I say, patting his flank. A couple of minutes later, and it's all over. Jack bandages his paw, whilst Savannah writes out his prescription.

"Oh Jack, whilst I'm here, can you ask Mont if he likes the new food I bought him? It's just he doesn't seem to be eating it." Jack nods, closing his eyes after he's finished bandaging his paw.

"He says it's edible, but he prefers the other sort." I nod, making a mental note of his preferences. Jack then scratches his neck awkwardly.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Oh, it's just that he told me to ask you if you can try and find the owner of the female dog he met last week at the park. He err, really wants you to arrange with her to meet her dog again, as he seems to have, how should I say, err, taken a real shine to her?" I knew exactly what Jack was trying to politely convey. My dog had the hots for the cute black Labrador named Betty that we met at the park last week. I thought he spent an awfully long time sniffing her bottom, in the way that dogs do.

"Monty!" I admonish him. The guy was barely a year old, and was already looking for female companionship. He quirked his head to the side, and his tongue lolled out- the doggy equivalent of an unapologetic, cheeky grin. I groaned, playfully dropping my head in my hands.

"What is it with this family? Oh, and, I know it's late notice, but I meant to ask you earlier- would you guys be able to look after the little Casanova while I'm away?"

"Yeah, sure" Jack replied, ruffling Mont's neck, resulting in a happy yip from the pup. "Drop him and his stuff round on Thursday evening, and we'll look after him until you get back. Just make sure he doesn't do too much running around- I don't want him making that paw any worse."

"I will do. And, thanks Jack- I didn't want to have to put him in the kennels for the weekend." Popping Mont with his newly bandaged paw back into his travel box, I pick it up and move towards the door.

"See you guys on Thursday" I call, and hear a chorus of goodbyes in response, before making my way out of the room, and to reception to pay.

XXX

The rest of the week flew by. It was a flurry of marking, sorting, and trying to hide Monty's antibiotics in his dinner without him realising. Thursday came in no time, and before I knew it I was dropping Monty at Jack and Savannah's for the weekend, before heading back home to pack.

Packing. Eurgh. I hated it- I never knew what to take. Deciding which clothes to take to a convention where you could be possibly meeting your soulfinder was even worse. I mean, how do you find an outfit to meet, and then reject your soulfinder in? I didn't want to look to flashy, but then jeans seemed a bit too casual for the whole affair. I groaned, running a hand through my waist length, curly brown locks. This was a nightmare. So far I'd only managed to pack the basics- toothbrush, pants, bras, socks, and a hairbrush. I'd even forgotten to get some euros- so I was relying on my credit card for any purchases I made whilst I was there.

Rummaging on my wardrobe once more, I settled on my convention outfit. It was a dress I'd gotten in the sale a couple of weeks ago. It was a powdery blue, knee length, and was a sort of smart casual, which is what seemed appropriate for such an event. Paired with a denim jacket, and my favourite pair of battered white converse it was practical as well as pretty, and totally suitable for a warm, Spring Paris day. Chucking in a comfy top to travel home in, and some shorts and tops to wander round in once I was there, I declared myself done. Now I just had to wait until the morning. Who knew what Saturday would bring?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to an anonymous reviewer, ' .Fugii', 'dancer99', 'xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx', and 'nononononononono' for reviewing! I hope you all enjoy chapter four! :D**

Friday morning arrived much sooner than I wanted it to. I'd spent the night tossing, and turning- totally sick at the prospect of the convention. My alarm rang at 7, and I was forced to accept the inevitable- I was actually going to Paris, and actually going to the convention. Dragging myself from my bed, I moved sluggishly towards the shower, washing my hair and shaving my legs. Rejuvenated, I brushed my teeth, wrapped my towel around me, and moved back to my room to select an outfit for the day. After much deliberation, exasperation, and utter frustration, I finally settled on a pair of light blue skinny jeans, and a thin navy and white striped top- they were comfortable for a plane journey, and very Parisian! Looking at myself in the mirror, I silently appraised myself. At 5'7 I was of average height, with an average build, and average brown eyes. Average, as you can probably tell, was the best way of describing me. Although I envied my twig- like friends, who had super-sonic metabolisms I kind of liked my body. I was toned from regular netball matches, and weekends spent hiking in the Peak District, which was right on my door step. Grabbing my comb I wrestled with my hair, attempting to de-tangle the mass of curls, before blow-drying it, and adding a layer of mascara to my eyelashes.

"There." I muttered to myself in the mirror, somewhat satisfied with my appearance. I was ready to go. The taxi was arriving at 9, and it was 8.45 now, so I decided to grab my suitcase and wait outside my flat for the taxi driver to arrive and take me to the airport.

Locking up, I headed down the stairs, dragging my suitcase behind me. It made a worrying thump every time I descended a step, as it whacked against the step below it. I probably should have risked the decrepit lift. Pushing open the double doors of the flat's lobby I dropped my suitcase to the floor, and sat on it. I probably looked like a homeless person, but, quite frankly, I didn't care. Grabbing my beach bag, which I was using for my hand luggage I checked I had everything. Passport- check, phone- check, purse with credit card in it- check, insurance form- check, plane tickets-check, taxi form-check… The amount of things you had to remember was ridiculous- I didn't know if, even at 24, that I was quite prepared for the responsibility. Lastly, I pulled out the leaflet about the convention- I'd packed it in my hand luggage so that I could have a quick glance through it before arriving in Paris. As I was looking, a car pulled up beside me, honking. I looked up.

"Taxi for East Midlands airport, love?" the cabbie asked. He leaned out of the window and leered at me. He was, at a guess, around thirty five, with a thin, greasy pony tail and yellowed teeth. Crossing my arms over my chest self-consciously, I replied with my best attempt at a smile.

"Yeah, that's me". I handed him the form that the Net had sent- the pre-paid receipt for my journey. He skimmed it quickly, before nodding to himself, and getting out of the car to the boot. The stench when he passed me was vile- worse than when I'd had to sit next to 'Stinky Sandra', for a whole year in chemistry at GCSE. I'm sure an hour with him in a confined space would be just wonderful. He picked up my suitcase and lobbed it in the boot.

"Do you want to sit up front with me, darlin'?" he asked, shooting me what I presumed what his attempt at a seductive smile, but all he proceeded in doing was showing me the cocoa pop remnants left in his teeth. I tried to hide my disgust at his lack of personal hygiene, not to mention his slimy personality.

"No thanks" I replied cheerily, before lying through my teeth. "I always sit in the back- I get travel sick if I sit in the front." I laughed. "It's quite bizarre really! I mean, most people get travel sick if they sit in the back, but not me, no! I always insist on sitting in the back." He looked at me quizzically- not believing this story at all, but, before he could argue I all but yanked open the door and flew into the left back seat- pulling the door shut quickly behind me, and placing my bag on my lap- a physical barrier between us.

"Alright, love, your loss." He grinned, pulling his door open, and starting the ignition. "Let's go." I smiled enthusiastically in response. 'Yes' I thought, in my head 'let's go as quickly as possible, so that I can get the hell out of this car!'

There was silence, for a few minutes as we drove out of town, before he tried to make conversation.

"So, love, what's your name?"

"Alexis." He seemed to be expecting me to ask him the same question, but I had no interest in continuing the conversation. He waited a few beats, finally realising that I wasn't going to ask back.

"My name's Terrence, but you can call me Terry." He glanced at me in his rear-view mirror, and I nodded in response- turning my head to look out of the window, so that I avoided making eye contact with him.

"So…" he valiantly continued- attempting to break the awkward silence. "You got a boyfriend then? Pretty thing like you must have all the men gagging for it!" My lips curled in revulsion- he was so crude.

"Yep" I lied. "He's a black belt in karate- trained by Jackie Chan himself. He was supposed to compete in the London Olympics, but he got banned for beating up a man who tried to hit on me. Pity, he would have won gold- he's lethal." I sighed dramatically "He's actually meeting me at the airport- I can get him to give you an autograph if you'd like?" Terry had paled considerably after hearing this.

"No, don't worry" he squeaked, pushing his foot down on the gas pedal, so that the car shot forward. "I wouldn't want to trouble him, I'm sure he's very busy." He didn't let his eyes stray from the road after that, navigating the winding country lanes with all the skill of a formula one racer. I snickered behind my hand- it served him right.

We arrived at the airport in no time, with Terrence chucking my bag onto the pavement, and racing off as if the hounds of hell were at his heels. I couldn't stop myself- I keeled over laughing, wiping the tears from my eyes. Hopefully that encounter would prevent him from pulling any moves on any future female passengers! Turning to grab my suitcase I bumped into something, or someone, sending my beach bag flying and all causing all of my documents to fall out.

"Crap" I muttered, dropping to the floor to pick up anything I could find. Shoving the stuff back in my bag, I stood up to see a man holding my convention leaflet. Double crap. Non- savants weren't allowed to see that!

"Thanks" I said, smiling brightly as I plucked it from his hands. 'Please let him not have read it!' I prayed silently. He was a fairly tall man, with cropped blonde hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile.

"No" he whispered, grabbing my arm lightly. "It's okay, I'm a savant too!" He pulled out a matching leaflet from his backpack, showing it to me with a grin to prove his point. I let out a giant breath of pure relief.

"Oh, thank God" I replied, putting my palm to my chest, as if to slow my racing heart. "I thought I'd really messed up."

He laughed, "No, thankfully it's just me. You heading to the convention too, then?"

I picked up my suitcase from the floor, wheeling it next to me as we proceeded to the airport's entrance. "Yeah, I wouldn't be if they hadn't made it mandatory, but it can't be helped. Who are you flying with?"

"EasyJet. You? Oh, and I know exactly how you feel." He sighed. Confused, I turned to look at him- it was extremely odd to find another savant that positively detested the idea of finding their perfect other half.

"Same. We might be in seats near to each other! You don't want to find yours either?" It was so refreshing to hear from someone who held the same views as me!

He scratched his neck awkwardly- a way of hiding his discomfort at the idea of the convention, I guessed. "No, I've been with my girlfriend for nearly six years, and I'm totally happy. I want to get married, and forget about this whole, stupid soulfinder business." He sighed, frustrated. "My parents keep on insisting that we'll break up though, that I won't be happy with her, and that I'm meant to be with my soulfinder. I've been to four conventions over the past couple of years- the local ones, you know? Not just the global ones. I made a deal with my parents that I'd go to five, and that if I didn't find her, then I wouldn't go to any more, they'd stop badgering me, and they wouldn't disapprove of an engagement to Catherine. This is the last one, the last part of the deal. So, fingers crossed I won't find her, and I can propose when I get home, and be taken off the Net's list forever!" He crossed all of the fingers on his left hand to prove his statement. We began to wander towards the EasyJet check in desk, as we talked.

"I told Cath that I was off on a business trip for the weekend- I felt awful lying to her, but I think it's better than telling her that this weekend could be when I meet my soul mate, and that there's a high chance I'm going to have a paranormal connection with her. Anyway-" He sighed, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"What about you?" He asked. "Why are you so against it?" Reaching the back of the queue we dropped our cases at our feet, and turned to face one another.

"My sister met her soulfinder at 17, and then he died a year later in a fire. She was distraught, and still hasn't really recovered. I don't want that. I don't want that total reliance on one person. Besides, I'd rather find love myself- rather than being forced to love someone just because of an attraction I can't explain." He nodded in agreement, as we shuffled forward.

"That's awful" he exhaled as he said it, shaking his head at her misfortune. "I completely get where you're coming from with that, though- I feel the same way. How old are you, by the way." He asked.

"I know, she was devastated, and still is. I'm 24. You?"

"Ditto. Want to try?" I knew exactly what he meant.

"Okay" I murmured, looking into his eyes. Could he really be my soulfinder- I couldn't imagine us being anything more than friends. Mind you, it wouldn't be so bad- he'd be thrilled with my rejection, and we'd both be able to move on with our lives.

"I'll try you first." I felt his voice in his mind then. _'Hello?'_ he asked me. I laughed in pure relief.

"Nope! Nothing!" He beamed broadly. "I'll try too- just to be sure." _'Hello'_ I asked him. His grin grew even bigger.

"Nothing for me either! Looks like we'll just have to be soulfinder hating friends, right-" He paused awkwardly. "Hang on; I don't even know your name yet."

"It's Alexis" I reply, holding out my hand for him to shake.

"Sam" he grins, grasping my hand tightly in his, and giving it a firm shake. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise."

And that was how our friendship began. Conversation flowed easily between us, and, as the check-in lady gave us seats next to each other on the plane, we had plenty of time to talk. Sam, it turned out, lived just a couple of miles away from me, and yet we'd never met. Crazy, right? His savant power was invisibility, although, he could only use it for about five minutes at a time, as it sapped his energy at an alarmingly quick rate. Still, it was pretty damn cool!

We passed quickly through security, and onto the plane. It was due to set off at 11.20 English time, and took approximately an hour and a half. But, as France was an hour ahead of the UK, we lost an hour, and so were expected to land at around two French time- give or take a few minutes. Stowing our hand luggage in the overhead lockers Sam and I took our seats. The row was made up three chairs. An elderly lady was sat in the window seat. I sat next to her, whilst Sam sat in the aisle.

As the other passengers took their seats she tapped me on the arm. I turned to her and smiled.

"You're a wonderful couple" she said, motioning to me and Sam.

"Oh, we're not-"

She cut me of "How long have you been together? You'll make wonderful babies!" I could hear Sam snickering next to me- deliberately pretending he couldn't hear our conversation.

"No, you're misunderstanding" I said slowly- not wanting to offend her. "We're not together. We're just good friends- nothing more" Her face fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear" she said, clapping her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"It's fine" I assured her. "Don't worry about it."

"He is rather handsome though, isn't he?" she whispered, trying to be discreet. Unfortunately, her 'whispering' was as loud, or if not louder than her regular voice, so it had no effect. "You could definitely have fun with him!" Sam was now visibly vibrating with laughter at her comment. "If only I was 30 years younger" she sighed.

"He actually has a thing for older women" I replied slyly. This was payback for him letting me deal with this awkward conversation on my own. She nodded at me knowingly, and I gave her an exaggerated wink in reply. Satisfied, I grabbed my phone from my pocket, and plugged my headphones in- preparing to listen to some music to pass the time. I looked over at Sam. His laughing fit had stopped abruptly once he realised that I had given the cougar the go-ahead to seduce him. I laughed at him, and he shot me a glare in response, which only made me laugh harder. Mission accomplished.

The rest of the flight passed in a comfortable silence, I listened to my music, chatted to Sam, and made sure we swapped numbers- I'd definitely keep in contact with him. Unfortunately all of these distractions still didn't take my mind off the impending convention. We landed on time and moved quickly through passport control, before heading to the baggage carousel. Grabbing our luggage we made our way towards the arrivals gate.

"So, this is it." I said, pausing before passing through the gate.

"Yep. We're actually here. Let me give you a hug, Lex"

"I hope you don't find her" I said, embracing him, although it was muffled as my face was pressed into his shoulder.

"You too. Well, find him, not her." He grinned, giving me a final squeeze. "See you tomorrow, Lex! I'll text you so that we can sit next to each other for the video." We picked up our bags and walked through the gate.

"Sounds great" I replied, with a smile "We can laugh at it together." He grinned in reply, giving me a last final wave, before he headed off to his hotel. I turned in the opposite direction- I'd arranged to meet my sister by the taxi rank, so we could go off to lunch together.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This was such a hard chapter to write! I hope you enjoy. Please leave a review to tell me what you think! Thank you so very much to 'bookworm', 'dancer99', 'Auras McBrooke', 'AHugInACup', ' .Fugii', an anonymous reviewer, 'Elizabeth-Jasper', and 'xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx' for reviewing.**

**I've never been to Paris, so this is totally fictitious- please, if you've been to Paris, forgive me- I'm sure it's nothing like how I've described it! Anyway, happy reading!**

**IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE BOTTOM AUTHOR'S NOTE TO CLEAR UP ANY ISSUES ABOUT YVES THAT ARE ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER. DON'T DO SO BEFORE, BECAUSE YOU'LL SPOIL IT FOR YOURSELF. Sorry for the capitals, but it's important **

Moving along with the general flow of commuters, I followed the crowd until I made it outside. It was a glorious day- the sun was high in the sky, and the temperature was soaring. I grabbed a pair of over-sized sunglasses from my bag, grateful for the relief they gave from the sun's bright glare. Okay, they may not be protecting my eyes very well- Primark isn't renowned for its excellent eyewear department, but at least they looked cool! Besides, I always ended up breaking them, so a cheap pair was probably best.

Weaving my way through the milling pedestrians I began to make my way towards the taxi rank. I craned my neck, trying to look over the crowd for my diminutive little sister who promised she'd meet me somewhere near here. The crowd seemed to disperse a few metres later, and I moved to the side of the pavement, leaning my suitcase against the wall whilst fishing for my phone to call her. Scrolling through my contacts I'd just dialled her number when a squealing female launched themselves at me- nearly knocking me over.

"Alice!" I laughed, delighted. I squeezed her tightly, so happy to see her after nearly a year apart. She giggled happily, as I staggered around- pretending as though she'd winded me from her over enthusiastic greeting. At just 18 Alice was a full 6 years younger than me, a 'happy accident', as my parents described her. She was nearly a full head shorter than me at 5'4, but always wore heels to make up for what she lacked in stature. Today she was my height, if not a bit taller, thanks to her platform sandals. The two of us were virtually identical in looks- we'd both inherited Mum's curly brown hair, Dad's brown eyes, and a similar facial structure, which led to strangers often passing us off as twins. Although she appeared bright, and bubbly I could still sense the sadness within her. Her eyes had dark bags under them, that even her make up couldn't hide. She'd lost weight too, not to the point where she was too thin, but close.

"You look very French, Lex" she answered- looking over my outfit. "All you need is a string of onions, and a baguette and you'll fit right in" she laughed. I leaned over and pinched her nose in retaliation, just like I used to do when we were kids. "Get off, Lex" she giggled, squirming away from my touch.

"So where are we off to, then?" I asked, picking up my bag and throwing my arm around her shoulder, as we ambled along.

"Well, I thought we could get the metro to my apartment as it's much cheaper than the train, and you haven't got that much luggage. We could pop and get some baguettes from the boulangerie next door, and then have a baguette on the rooftop of my apartment block. It's open to everyone, but no one really uses it- so it should be just us. What do you think?"

"Sounds perfect! I can't wait to get changed into a pair of shorts, and relax after the plane ride- I really need to stretch my legs."

XXX

The metro, I discovered, was very similar to the London Underground. Crowded, frantic, and a bit dingy. Keeping to one side of the elevator, I watched in amazement as businessmen sprinted past us in a bid to make their trains. One poor man even tripped up the escalator in his haste! Favouring a more sedate approach, Alice and I made it to our station in about twenty minutes, catching a couple of different trains, having had to swap lines to reach our destination.

We eventually made it to near Alice's apartment. Alice lived right in the centre of Paris- it was an affluent area, but with her gift she could definitely afford it. My younger sister could see the future. She was rather different to others with this gift, as she could only see approximately 24 hours ahead – no further. Although this could be seen as a limitation, it also meant that her visions were much clearer than other seers', and much more certain. What she saw was almost definitely going to come true- no matter what she tried to do to prevent it from happening. At 8 she'd asked my Mother why Grandpa was in hospital. Confused, my mother rang him. He was in perfect health. 8 hours later, he suffered a massive heart attack, and wound up in hospital. At 11, she saw that our family cat, Bubbles, was going to get killed by a car. We kept him inside all day, but when Dad came home from work and opened the door to let himself in, Bubbles, sensing his chance to make his great escape, ran straight out onto the road. Mrs Harris, who lived opposite, had been reversing out of her drive at the time, and didn't see him until it was too late. Bubbles was no more, and Alice was inconsolable. It wasn't all bad, though. At 16, she saw the winning Euromillions lottery numbers. Now, you could say that it was cheating when she purchased the ticket. She knew with utter certainty that the £40 million jackpot was hers. Mum and Dad did chastise her for that – we were supposed to remain below the radar, anonymous in order to ensure that the general public didn't know that some of the population possessed super-human abilities. As a compromise, Alice collected the check anonymously, and promised my parents not to spend it frivolously. The 40 million remained untouched in her bank account, before she moved to Paris. With my parents' help she bought an apartment right near to the art college she was attending, and we all considered it money well spent.

After exiting the metro we popped into the boulangerie to get the baguettes, before heading to Alice's apartment. In the shop the young, cute French owner, named Joffre, tried to chat up Alice. I didn't even know the language, but even I could tell that he was aiming for a date. Alice, uninterested in Joffre's advances, politely turned him down. Well, I think that's what she said- GCSE French meant that I could really only describe my family, and tell you what pets I had, so I couldn't quite be sure, but judging by their body language, that seemed to be the gist of the conversation. Leaving his shop, we walked across the cobbles to Alice's apartment. Just from entering the foyer I could tell that it was a million miles away from my flat back home- it had a functioning lift to start with (something that I was very grateful for- I didn't really fancy lugging my suitcase up the four flights of stairs to Alice's apartment.) Pushing aside the slight pang of jealousy that struck me as I took it all in, we moved to the lift- pressing number four for Alice's floor.

"So, want to tell me about Joffre?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows, and nudging her with my elbow. She groaned in response.

"There's nothing to tell, Lex. He's just likes the challenge of pursuing the new British girl. Besides, how could you tell what he was saying- you don't even speak French!" The elevator began to move as she spoke, the numbers on the control panel lighting up as we passed them.

"Oh, I didn't really have a clue what he was on about. Just call it female intuition. Besides, you've confirmed it now- my hunch was right!" I cackled with glee, as I saw her realise her mistake. "You've been here for a year now, Lex" I continued. "The whole 'he's just after the new girl' excuse, no longer applies- he must be genuinely into you. He seemed nice- you should give it a shot." The elevator pinged, and the sliding doors opened as I finished speaking. Alice got out, and headed for her door as I trailed after her.

"You know I can't be in a relationship now, Lex" her voice was small and totally devoid of hope. She fished out her keys, sliding one of them into the lock, and pushing the door open.

"It's okay to move on, Alice." I say, wrapping my arm around her in comfort. "It doesn't have to be serious. You're only 18- you've got to live and have fun." She shrugged my arm off angrily.

"No, Alexis, I can't just move on!" she shouted. "You don't understand- no one does. Just stop going on about it." I moved away from her, hurt at her remarks. She sighed, rubbing her forehead as though to force some of the anger away. "I'm sorry." She said, calm once again. "I shouldn't have said that. It's just hard trying to come to terms with the fact that I lost my soulfinder at 17 when everyone else is happy, and meeting theirs for the first time. Go shower, and freshen up- I've left towels out for you. It's the second door on the left." I open my mouth to respond, but she's already walked away. "I'll make our sandwiches, while you're in the shower. Take as long as you need- I bet you need to wind down after your journey. Ham and cucumber okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds great thanks, Alice. I'll see you in a bit." I try to sound upbeat, pretending as though she hadn't upset me, and that everything was fine. Pulling my suitcase behind me I make my way to the bathroom. Alice's apartment, I discovered, was very much like her. It's full of keepsakes from home- china plates and ornaments hanging from the walls, as well as countless photo collages of us. There's Alice in a paddling pool when she was three, a photo of the whole family at Disneyland, Savannah and Jack's wedding photo amongst numerous others. It's as though the whole family's constantly with her. Aside from the photographs, her apartment is also littered with easels with half-finished paintings sat on them. They're beautiful pieces of art- ranging from landscapes to portraits to flowers, and all manner of other things. She's an undeniably talented artist, with her College in Paris endlessly sending invites to Mum and Dad to come to some of their exhibitions where Alice's art took centre stage. Unfortunately, they can't get the time off work- Dad's a surgeon, and Mum's a GP, so they just aren't allowed to take the time. It's something that constantly frustrates them, but they've learnt to accept it, and Alice understood.

Pulling open the door that Alice instructed, I gasp in awe at the plush wet- room that awaits me. The shower is enormous- partly enclosed by giant pane of glass, and big enough to fit a football team in. The room is a mix of cream and white- it's modern, but not clinical. Lifting my suitcase, I place it carefully on the dresser, and grab my toiletries. Stripping, I hop in quickly. The shower is glorious. That's the only way to describe it. It has a pull out heated seat, jets in the wall that spray you as you wash, a hand held shower head, and undoubtedly some other features that I've yet to discover. Twenty five minutes later, I force myself to get out and change, hoping that I haven't dented Alice's water bill too severely.

Dressed, I wander out to where I saw Alice move to. Calling out her name, and moving to the sound of her reply, I find myself in her state of the art kitchen.

"Enjoy your shower?" she asked, passing me a freshly made ham and cucumber sandwich and a bottle of ice cold water.

"Amazing!" I draw out the 'ah' sound, and she smiles in response- picking up her own lunch and walking towards the front door with it.

"I'm glad you liked it- I think it's one of the best features of the apartment. Well, aside from the rooftop terrace. You'll have experienced both by the end of today, so I'll let you make your own decision." Smiling, she locks up behind us and we take the lift up to the roof.

"You ready?" she asks, when we reach the top. "You can't prepare yourself for this view!" and with that she pushes open the door, and we step out onto the terrace.

She's right. The view from here is spectacular. My jaw drops in response to what I'm seeing.

"Woah" I whisper, turning my head slowly to take in Paris in all of its glory. From here you could see the whole city- the cobbled streets bustling with people, parts of the Seine as it leisurely wound its way through the city, with people in boats gliding along it effortlessly. If you looked closely, you could even see the outline of the Eiffel tower- jutting out over the skyline.

"No-one comes up here really, so normally I have it all to myself." She moves towards the little plastic table and chairs which are set up next to the wall, overlooking the city. I move to follow her, taking the seat opposite her- still gazing at the backdrop. I eat my lunch quickly, famished from the flight. Full, I turned my head to the sun closed my eyes, and allowed myself to bask in the sun's rays.

"You're gonna meet him tomorrow, you know" I didn't move.

"What are you on about Alice?" I asked "Who am I going to meet?"

"Your soulfinder, silly! He's going to be at the convention. I've seen it." Now that made me sit up and pay attention. She'd never been wrong before. If she'd seen it, it was inevitable that it was going to happen- I was powerless to stop it.

"What?!" I managed to spit out. "No, no, no!" I dropped my head to my hands. "No, it can't happen. I don't want it to happen. I don't want a soulfinder!" Alice looked up at me murderously, her hands clenching so hard on the table that her knuckles had turned white.

"You're going to throw it away? You're not even going to give him a chance? _The _most precious gift that a savant is given, and you're not even going to acknowledge it?"

"Don't be mad, Alice- it's my decision."

"Mad, Alexis? Oh, I'm not mad." She laughed gaily, before staring straight at me. "I'm absolutely furious." It was said with such venom, that I actually shrunk back into my seat.

"I'm sorry Alice it's just-"

"Is this because of what happened to me? Because if it is, you're being totally ridiculous." My must face must have given away the fact that her guess was spot on. "I loved Dragon with all of my heart, and I'd only known him for a few months. I wouldn't change the days I spent with him for anything! Yes, it hurt when I lost him. It hurt like hell. It was worse than anything I'd ever experienced. And, do you know what made it worse? I had seen that he was going to die- I had seen the fire. I told him, I told him not to go in it- and he promised, Alexis! He promised he wouldn't go in there! And then the fire happened. He mink-linked- told me he was going to go in and grab some stuff, and come straight back out- he said we could use it to start our life together, and that he needed to do it because otherwise the Seer would know that something was wrong, and that he'd find out about me and hurt me. I told him not to do it, I told him we'd be fine without it- I'd already won on the lottery. Money was the last of our worries. But he insisted, however much I told him not to. He was in London and I was in Derby- there was nothing I can do. And then, then, the fire became too much." By now the tears were rolling down her cheeks- a cascading waterfall that I was powerless to stop.

"And he knew he was going to die- there was no escape. I could feel the flames licking at his skin, singing his hair. He was in agony, and I could feel it too. I called the fire brigade, the police- anyone, anything, but they didn't believe me. And then, as he was dying, he told me he loved me. Loved me more than anything in the world- and told me to move on, to move on and be happy. How could I be happy without him? I told him this, but he said it was his dying wish. His dying wish was that I be happy. What was I supposed to say to that? I didn't know the answer, so I told him I'd try. And then… then… then I couldn't hear him anymore. Our link went blank- I couldn't reach him. He… he was gone. Do you know what he told me though, Lex?" she asked through her tears. I nodded mutely in reply.

"Yves Benedict started the fire. He could have stopped the flames- saved Dragon and Unicorn. But he didn't. He wanted to see them burn. And, do you know what annoys me now? All those bloody Benedicts swan around, pretending to be so perfect, so good, so wonderful. Oh, they've set up the savant net, they've captured criminals. But they're the biggest crooks of all- and they're fooling every savant in the Net. I hate them. I hate them and their family. They're the reason Dragon is dead!" She collapsed into earth- shattering sobs.

"But Alexis—I know I'm in pain, and I know I'm not the same as I was, but I'm recovering. I'll slowly get better. Don't throw away your soulfinder because you're afraid of losing them. Don't lose them before you've found them." She wiped her tears frantically with the back of her hand.

"Promise me, Alexis, promise me you'll give him a chance. Please, do it for me" I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, trying to avoid answering. "Alexis…" she growled

"Fine." I said, resigned to my fate. "I'll give it a chance- I promise." She smiled through her tears- happy that she'd achieved her objectives.

"Thank you" she whispered, drained from her speech, the tears still flowed down her cheeks as she slumped in her cheeks. Getting up from my seat, I pull Alice into my lap- she needs the comfort right now, and she needs to let it out. I hold her as she cries, and stroking her hair as her tears soak into my shirt. "It's okay, Al" I whisper soothingly, "It's all gonna' be alright." I let her cry until she exhausts herself. Twenty minutes later I feel her begin to doze off. Carefully, I extricate myself from her, letting her now sleeping body hunch in the chair. Quickly I stack the plates, scraping the left-overs into the bin along with the water bottles. I take the plates back down to the apartment, before coming back up for Alice.

"Alice" I nudge her gently. "Alice, you've got to wake up" she mumbles drowsily, and I pull her to her feet, and putting my arm underneath her shoulder to support her weight. We stagger slowly to the lift, and then to her apartment. Moving slowly, I navigate us to her bedroom, letting Alice's exhausted body slip under the covers. Carefully, I remove her shoes and tuck the covers around her. Writing a quick note to explain what happened, and promising her I'll see her tomorrow, I press a kiss to Alice's forehead, collect my luggage and turn to leave the flat. The door locks automatically behind me, and I make my way down to the foyer. A tear falls against my will as I get into the lift. I brush it away angrily. Exiting, more fall, but I can't help it. Why is the world so cruel?

**A/N: Just to clarify- I know Yves didn't deliberately kill Dragon and Unicorn- the flames got out of his control, and I think he thought they'd escaped. Alice's idea that all the Benedict's are evil is essential to the plot of the story- so her confusion over what really happened is intentional! If you haven't read 'Stealing Phoenix', then this probably won't make sense, but I'm guessing most of you have? [End of important note that I asked readers to look at at the start of the chapter ****]**

**Anyway, so who saw that coming? Yes, Dragon, Phee's 'brother' who died in the fire in 'Stealing Phoenix' was Alice's soulfinder! He wasn't such a baddy after all (well, at least in my world!) I imagine him as someone who's like Zed underneath- he was drifting until Alice came along, but kept up his cruel façade towards Phee, even though he knew it was wrong as he didn't want the Seer to become suspicious of him and find out about Alice. I always felt sorry for Dragon's soulfinder- even though we never knew who she was, and that idea was the inspiration for the story- Alexis was a by-product (even though she's the protagonist). **

**Please leave a review- you guys are awesome! :D**

**Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers- I wouldn't write if it weren't for your feedback. I hope you like this chapter :)**

Walking back out into the sun I flag down a taxi. One stops a moment later, and I climb in quickly.

"Sont vous bien Mademoiselle?" the concerned cabbie asks. He looks around fifty, and his eyes convey his concern.

"Oui" I let out a shaky gasp, before composing myself. "Je suis très bien, merci monsieur." The cabbie doesn't look convinced, but I smile brightly. "L'hôtel de Noailles si vous plait." He nods in understanding, smoothly pulling away from the curb and into the traffic. He doesn't ask any more questions, and for that I am grateful. It gives me time to pull myself together.

By the time I arrive at the hotel I've managed to stop crying and fix my make- up. No one found panda eyes very attractive. Paying the cabbie with a swipe of my credit card, I grab my suitcase and walk onto the pavement. It was odd though, as I walked further towards the hotel I felt better somehow. It wasn't the sort of better that came because you were relieved that you'd arrived at your destination safely, but more that I had this overwhelming sense of security and inner peace as soon as I entered. 'I must just be tired', I thought. The stress of today was making me delusional- I needed to lie down. Sighing, I assessed my surroundings. I'd looked the hotel up on the internet, but nothing could have prepared me for its beauty in real life. It was an old Parisian building, with hundreds of windows, and beautiful architecture- a truly magnificent building. I was used to the Premier Inn at £25 a night, so nothing had prepared me for this. A man in the hotel's uniform opened the door for me, and ushered me in. I thought it was a tad excessive, but hey- who was I to complain!

The inside was just as opulent. An enormous chandelier hung from the ceiling in reception, and the lobby was lined with velvet sofas. Bellhops moved racks of dry cleaning towards the elevators, and elegantly dressed women bedecked in diamonds teetered in their Louboutins towards the upmarket restaurant. There was a swimming pool, a bar (in which I'd undoubtedly be drowning my sorrows in tomorrow afternoon), a sauna, a steam room, and a gift shop- it was more like a small village than a hotel.

Moving to the reception desk to check in I was served by a friendly looking lady, with wavy red hair. "Bonjour! English?" she asked with a heavy French accent. I nodded- was it really that obvious that I was from the UK? I hadn't even muttered a word of since I'd entered the building.

"Welcome to the L'hôtel de Noailles'. We hope you enjoy your stay with us. Do you have your booking reference and ID please?" I handed them over without question, and she looked over them before typing furiously into her computer.

"Ahh, yes, Miss Anderson. You're on floor 5, room 17" She handed back my passport, sliding a key card along with it. "There's an elevator just over there" She pointed, in the direction of the three lifts, "which will take you to your floor. Don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you need. Room service is available 24 hours a day, and all of the facilities are free to use. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

"Thank you" I reply, picking up the key card and my passport before making my way to the lift. The strange sensation I'd felt outside had since amplified upon entering the hotel. It was a strange sensation, like a prickling at the back of my neck. Not annoying, but comforting somehow.

One of the lift's doors opened as I was a few metres away and an elderly couple stepped out. Quickening my steps I dashed forward- leaping into the compartment before the doors closed and I had to wait for another one. Pressing '5' for my floor I waited patiently as the lift began to fill with other guests. There was a young couple, a middle-aged and a prim looking businesswoman who all entered after me. Just as the doors began to slide shut there was a commotion in the lobby, and the strange prickling sensation began to increase with fervour. A tall man of at least 6 foot, who was built like a rugby player, was running full tilt at the lift. I couldn't quite make out his features, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he was devastatingly handsome. He had his arm raised above him, as if he were hailing a taxi. Perplexed, I watched in amazement as he came closer.

"Stop! Hold the elevator!" he yelled. He was American- I could tell that much from his accent. The doors closed before he could reach us, and I was left rather confused by his determination to be in this lift. There were three fully functioning lifts in the lobby, so he wouldn't have had to have waited for very long to catch a different one. Besides, this one was kind of full, so he would have been better to wait.

Unless there was someone in the lift that he knew, and needed to talk to? Glancing around it seemed as though no-one but me had been paying attention to the remarkable scene that had just played out right in front of us. The young couple had been too busy playing table tennis, whilst the businesswoman was glued to her phone. I was pretty sure a bomb could have detonated right next to them, and they would have still remained oblivious. The middle- aged man was leaning against the rail of the elevator, turned away from the action. His eyelids kept slipping closed, as though he was so tired he was nearly falling asleep stood up. When the lift lurched upwards he'd been jolted awake- something that provided me with much amusement. Shaking my head, I dismissed my ideas. The elevator began to crawl slowly upwards- guests were replaced as we made our way up the floors as some got out and others entered.

Soon we reached my floor. I stepped out into the corridor, following it as it bent round to the left. The room numbers dropped the further I walked. '22,21,20,19,18…17'

"Yes" I murmured to myself, relieved that I'd found my room. Sliding the card into the panel on the door I watched as it flashed green, and I heard the mechanical click, which meant the door was now open. Pulling the card from the slot, I twisted the handle and walked in.

I was met by a large room with a double bed, a fully stocked mini-bar, and, best of all, a widescreen TV. Promptly I dropped my bags at the door and ran, jumping onto the bed with all the elegance of a lumbering baby elephant. I landed with a thump, nestling my face in the mountains of plump pillows at the head of the bed. I inhaled deeply. Ahhh, lavender- my favourite. Rolling over, I grabbed the TV remote on the bedside table. Snuggling into the cushions I lay on my back in prime view of the enormous TV directly opposite me. Cosy, I exhaled- it was time to unwind and watch some telly!

XXX

The TV, I'd discovered in the past 5 hours, had every TV channel known to man. I'd watched countless re-runs of 'The Big Bang Theory', sobbed my way through 'Marley and Me' (Marley looked uncannily like Monty, which made his eventual death all the worse), and was now half way through watching some American building show similar to the UK's 'Grand Designs'. It was now 8 o'clock, and, as I couldn't be bothered to move, I'd decided to order room service.

Skimming the menu I decided to order the most expensive dish on the menu- Sirloin steak with all the trimmings. Ringing reception and telling them to put it on my tab I laid back and relaxed. The Net would have to pick up the bill. Now, ordinarily I hated letting people pay for me. My pet peeve was when men insisted on paying for my meal on a date. This was the twenty-first century for crying out loud! Women were to be treated equally, and were perfectly capable of paying for themselves! This instance, however, was different. This, due to the bloody interfering Savant Net, was my last night of freedom. My last night of being able to do whatever I wanted, and being able to completely forget about stupid soulfinders. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? Well, aside from Alice, who knew what tomorrow would hold? Great, now I was depressed.

So then I raided the fully stocked, highly alcoholic mini-bar.

**A/N: Can anyone guess who the American was then? ;) Please leave a review! If I hit 30 reviews I'll upload chapter 7 today as it's already written :)**

**Also, I have written this chapter from Will's POV, intending to publish it as chapter 8. After deciding that it doesn't quite fit (I want to write the whole story from Alexis' POV) I've decided that it will be published as an outtake once I've finished the story. If you want to read it now, however (as it will give you some more information on the Benedict's) please say so in a review, or PM me and I can sent it to you over PM. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much to all of you that reviewed- I'm truly amazed that so many of you are enjoying the story. You guys rock!**

**If you want to read the story in Will's POV, please check it out on my profile, as it's written as a separate story.**

**Thanks guys! Happy reading! This is one of my favourite chapters- so I hope you like it too :)**

I was rudely awoken by a loud pounding on my door. Groaning, I rolled over to look at the time on the clock on the bedside table. It was 5.45 am. Who the hell was beating on my door at this ungodly hour? Not to mention that I was still functioning on British time, which meant to my body clock that it was 4.45 am. Like I said, who on earth wakes people up at this ungodly hour?

"No thanks" I shouted hoarsely, presuming that it was the cleaning staff, as I'd forgotten to put the 'Do not disturb' sign on my door. My head was still throbbing from last night's escapades, and I buried myself back under the covers in an attempt to block out the noise, and fall into a peaceful slumber.

"Alexis Jayne Anderson, you will let me in right now!" Oh God. I knew that voice, and the use of my full name made it even worse. There was no use in hiding- the tiny hurricane would soon descend, and my hopes of a peaceful lie in were undoubtedly quashed. Sighing, I yanked off my duvet and trudged to the door- blearily rubbing the sleep from my eyes and yawning loudly. Pulling open my door, I was met by my younger sister who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Alexis!" she gasped, taking in my bedraggled appearance. She walked in quickly, slamming the door behind us.

"Lex, what did you do? I've only got a few hours to beautify you- you could have at least gotten a decent night's sleep!" She exclaimed, taking in the dark bags under my eyes, and the unnatural whiteness of my cheeks. Her gaze flickered to the empty bottles on the floor.

"Oh, Lex" she sighed, pulling me into a hug "What happened? You don't even drink normally."

"I don't want it, Alice. I don't want to be forced to be with someone." I sobbed. I'd tried to be strong, to take it all in my stride, but it had just become too much. I buried my head in her shoulder, and let the tears fall. "I'm happy where I am- I'm happy with my life now. I don't want to move away from Derby- it's my home. I just wanted to forget, Alice. I just wanted to forget what was happening for one night. Just for one night." Alice ran her hands through my hair soothingly.

"Lex, it's supposed to be a good thing- not something you dread. He's not going to be some dictator who orders you around, and strips you of your independence."

"You don't know that, Alice!"

"Hey, look, we'll deal with it when we get to it. And, Lex" I look at her. "I can see the future, remember? I can get you out of all kinds of shit." I laugh in response. "Now go get yourself in the shower missy- I'll deal with the rest." Nodding, I slink into the shower- hoping that it'll wake me up. Twenty minutes later, I'm feeling infinitely better. The throbbing in my head seems to have diminished somewhat, and the warm water had improved my mood. I'd just got to get through today, and then I could move on with my life. Well, at least until next year. Wrapping a towel around myself I walk out into my bedroom. Alice had opened the curtains, tidied up from last night, and was now pawing through my suitcase. She'd laid out the dress and jacked I'd picked for the convention on my bed. Hearing my entrance she turned to face me, holding my converse between her fingers- a look of utter distaste written all over her face.

"Converse, Lex?" she asks "The dress I can deal with, but converse?" she shrieks. "What am I going to do with you?" I don't reply- I was guessing the question was rhetorical. She chucks my bra and pants at me. "Get into these and put a robe on. I'll do the rest." Thankfully I manage to catch them without letting the towel drop, and exposing myself. Yes, we were sisters, but I'd rather not let her see my birthday suit. I head to the bathroom to change, emerging moments later, and tying the fluffy robe the hotel provided around my waist. Alice has set up a chair in the main room, ushering me towards it she pushes me into it.

"Just sit and relax." She orders me, pulling out from her bag more cosmetics than most drug stores stock. No exaggeration. I shut my eyes as she buffs and polishes my skin- dozing in and out of consciousness as she plucks at my eyebrows, and yanks my hair into some intricate style that I would never be able to create- I was more of a ponytail or bun girl. After inhaling what felt like a whole can full of hairspray, Alice proudly declared that I was 'ready'. Dressing carefully and pulling on my trusty battered converse I surveyed myself in the full length mirror. Alice had worked her magic once more- her artistic flair was not limited just to canvases it seemed. My make-up was light and natural, bringing out my eyes and making my cheeks look fresh and rosy. My hair had been teased into a loose side bun, with a few loosely curled strands framing my face. If she wasn't an artist, I would have strongly recommended that she become a make-up artist to the stars.

"Thank you, Al" I whispered, hugging her tightly. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Lex. I love you, you know?"

"Yeah" I replied. "Yeah, I love you too. Now let's get this over with!"

Glancing at the clock I saw that it was 8am. The convention was at least a ten minute walk away, and as much as I didn't want to go, I didn't want to be late either. Grabbing my beach bag Alice and I left the room arm in arm. Watch out- the Andersons were coming.

XXX

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the convention. There was a large queue up the steps to the entrance, which we joined the end of. The banners adorning the outside of the building stated that today was the 'Biggest International speed dating event', but that admittance was by invitation only. They'd conveniently left out the fact that the 'event' was only open to savants, but I guessed that admitting such a thing would compromise our anonymity. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out. It was Sam.

'Where are you? :)' he'd written.

'In the queue. You? :-)'

'I'm already in the first room waiting for the video. I've saved you a seat- I'm in the back row. Text me when you get through, and I'll come meet you :)'

'Fab, will do- thanks! I'll see you in a bit."

He sent a smiley face back, and I slid my phone back into my pocket. Looking around I observed the savants around me. They all looked so ordinary. It was hard to believe that everyone here was a savant. There were people from far and wide- speaking languages that I couldn't identify. There was a great range of ages too- 18 year olds like Alice, right through to people who looked older than my parents, or even my grandparents! I chewed my lip nervously as the queue moved forward.

"Stop doing that Alexis! You'll ruin your lipstick!" Alice reprimanded, assuming the maternal role. I rolled my eyes in retaliation, and she sighed.

We'd neared the front of the queue when a commotion broke out on the top of the steps. Alice and I had a prime view- whether we wanted one or not. An older man and woman were being forcefully escorted from the building by a tall, broad Hispanic man whose face was full of rage. He was joined by a petite blonde, who wrapped her small hands around his bicep- not in the least afraid of him.

"Get out, and stay out! You are not welcome here! You could have killed my soulfinder, and you're lucky I'm letting you leave here alive. It's only because of her that you are leaving- if it were left to me you'd be dead by now." He said it with a deathly anger- he was lethal. I had no doubts that his threats were real.

The woman staggered down the steps- the man trailing behind her. Their eyes were glassy and both of them looked totally intoxicated. The woman had a thick layer of foundation, giving her an orange complexion, along with bright red lipstick to complete the look. The man was equally as dishevelled, sporting a scruffy T-shirt, and stained trousers. The woman turned to face the man who'd escorted her out and looked straight at the blonde.

"Come on, Rachel! Don't you remember your Auntie Jo and Uncle Ian? We looked after you! We're awfully sorry that we had to leave you in the car park. We were going to come back for you, weren't we Ian? We just got waylaid- that was all!" She elbowed the man next to her, and he chimed in.

"Yeah" he mumbled incoherently, staggering from side to side. "We always meant to come back for you, Rosie."

"It's Rachel, Ian, you moron. Rachel!" she whispered loudly.

"Sorry. Yeah, we always meant to come back for you Rachel. We'd never have left Franny's girl in a car park."

"See, Rachel?" she said, smiling. Her yellowed teeth, stained with her red lipstick, were on full display. "We aren't bad people. We always wanted the best for you. Now why don't we put this behind us and move on, be a real family? What do you say?" She opened her arms as if expecting the blonde to launch herself into them.

The man on the top of the steps was now visibly vibrating with anger. His jaw was clenched in his efforts to constrain his rage, and his fists were clenched so that his knuckles had turned white. The pretty blonde reached up on her tip toes and whispered something in his ear. He immediately calmed down in response.

"No, Jo. You have never been my aunt, and never will be. We cannot 'move past this'. I already have a family, and you're not in it. You left me in that car park and had no intention of returning. I could have died, and you wouldn't have cared. Besides, you turned yellow, so I know without doubt that you were lying." The woman shifted awkwardly from foot to foot- her guilty conscience obvious to anyone watching. Well, actually it wasn't perhaps a guilty conscience that caused her movements- more the fact that she'd been caught lying.

"Don't bother coming back here again." The blonde, and the man, who I presumed to be her boyfriend made to move back inside. Before they could do so, she called down to the lady again.

"Oh, and Jo? I go by Sky now." She then grabbed the hand of the man beside her, and tugged him inside- it appeared that she had him well under her control. "Let's go, Zed. I don't want to waste any more time on these pathetic people." He wrapped his arm around her, and sent one last rage-filled glare in the couple's direction, before pressing a kiss to his girlfriend's head, and walking her inside. The crowd was left in a stunned silence for a minute, before conversation gradually began to pick back up.

"What do you think that was about?" I asked, looking at my sister who looked just as confused as I was.

"No idea, Lex. No idea at all." By now the queue had moved so far forward that we had entered the building to make our way through security. Security was a little different in a savant community I discovered. First, we had to drop our shields and let a tall, kind Hispanic man assess us. He told us his name was Saul, and that he had the ability to sense danger. Once he deemed that Alice and I were no threat he let us through, onto the next stage of the security checks. The next stage was conducted by the blonde we'd seen on the steps. She was wrapped securely in her boyfriend's arms, as he wiped away her tears and talked quietly to her. She nodded at whatever he was saying, pressing her face into his chest, and pulling herself even tighter to him. Noticing our entrance she pulled away slightly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"Sorry" she said softly. "I'm not normally like this"

"Don't worry" I smiled. "It's fine- honestly. Are you okay?"

"I will be." She turned to her boyfriend. "Go back to the desks Zed, I'm fine- I'll call if I need anything." He looked as though he didn't want to leave her, refusing to drop his arms from around her waist.

"Okay." He said, after watching her plead with her eyes. "But you call me if anything, and I mean anything, Sky, is wrong. Yeah?" She nodded in response, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Love you."

"I love you too, Zed. Now, shove off before you delay me any further." She winked, and he tickled her teasingly before he left the room.

"Sorry about that." She said, turning her attention to us again. "He's a bit overprotective, and that encounter pushed him nearly over the edge. Anyway" she continued, smiling. "My name's Sky, and I'm a sort of lie detector- so you just have to answer a few of my questions before you can go through to the registration desks, okay?" We nod in understanding, and she begins to ask us questions: 'Do you have any intention of harming anyone at the convention?', 'Do you have any weapons on you'. She asks each of us about five questions, explaining that if we were lying we'd 'turn yellow' and be escorted out of the conference. I didn't quite know what she meant by that, but I didn't want to ask her- she'd had a rough day already judging by the step ordeal. Once she was satisfied that we hadn't 'turned yellow' she let us pass through to the registration phase. We were told by a helper to move to a desk manned by a friendly brunette called 'Phee'. Well, that's what it said on her label. I went first.

"Hi, I'm Phee. I'm here to get you registered, and give you your seat number for the circle. Have you got your ID with you?" I went first, and handed her my passport. The instructions they'd sent had mentioned that I needed to bring some form of ID, and thankfully I'd remembered it. Taking it from me, she looked at it, and proceeded to type into the laptop next to her. "Ahaa" she exclaimed. "Yes, you're on the outside of the circle on table 506." 506! I hadn't realised that there would be that many savants! My face must have displayed my amazement.

"Don't worry" she laughed "The tables get taken out once a pair meet, so the circle doesn't stay that big for long. Last year half the tables had been removed after just half an hour- the matches were so fast!" She wrote down my table number, and on what side of the table I was supposed to sit on a piece of paper which she slipped into a lanyard. She printed out a label with my photograph and name on it and slipped it onto the other side of the lanyard. "Keep this around your neck at all times, but if you lose it don't worry- just come around here and we'll get you another one. Your name and photograph is stuck onto the table you have to sit at for the matching, and all the chairs are numbered, so you should be okay to find your seat. If you have any problems at all don't hesitate to ask! All of us helpers are bedecked in this lovely orange shade, so we're easy to spot, and we're all happy to help." She gestured to the garish fluorescent orange t-shirt she was wearing to emphasise her point. "Right, Alexis, you can head through to the video room now, as you're done."

"I'll just wait for Alice"

"Oh, yes that's fine- sorry I forgot you'd come together." She turned to Alice.

"Can I have your ID please?" she asked, and Alice handed it over.

"Actually, I'm here to have my name taken off the list. My soulfinder passed away in a fire last year, so I don't need to attend the conventions anymore." She said it, fighting back the tears.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that-" Phee glanced at the passport "Alice." Her face expressing her sincere sadness at Alice's situation. "You poor dear." Phee passed Alice a tissue to wipe away the tear that had fallen down her face.

"Would I be able to get their name? I know it seems rude of me to ask, but it's the Net's policy" she says sympathetically.

"Dragon" Phee's face seemed to lose its colour.

"Do you have a surname for him?" she asked, her fingers trembling.

"No, but he lived in London." Phee brought her hands up to her mouth and gasped- tears welling up in her eyes.

"A stocky red- head, built like a rugby player?"

"Yeah" Alice replied, confused. "Yeah, that was Dragon. How do you know?" But by now Phee was hyperventilating, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as tears began to leak from her eyes.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God" she chanted to herself. "No, no, no!" she wept. "Yves!" she shouted, turning to the man at the registration desk next to ours. He came over straight away.

"Phee, what's wrong?" he asked concerned, wrapping his arms around her and wiping away her tears.

"Yves" she said, and pointed to Alice. "That's Dragon's soulfinder." He turned to face us, his face turning a sickly green colour as he absorbed the information.

"Oh God!" he cried, anguished. "What have I done? They weren't meant to die- they were meant to leave the fire!"

"You'd better come through, Alice" Phee said weakly, standing up from her chair, and motioning for Alice to follow them. "We need to have a chat." Her voice broke on the last word. Alice motioned to me that she'd follow them, and I nodded- giving her a quick hug.

"You want me to come with you?" I asked her. Yves Benedict hadn't been what I expected. I had thought he was a cold, merciless killer. I mean, how could you have any other personality and be able to live with yourself knowing that you had burnt someone alive? I suppose, it must just be a façade- the Benedict's had to pretend to be perfect to keep up their pristine reputation in the Net.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Okay, mind-link me if there's any problems, yeah?" she nodded, and I gave her a quick squeeze before we went our separate ways: Alice to confront her soulfinder's murderer; and I to meet my soulfinder. I didn't know which was worse. I watched Alice walk away with Yves and Phee before pulling out my phone and texting Sam.

'Got through security and registration. Where are you? :-)' He messaged back immediately.

'I'm on the left as you go through the double doors. English entrance. I'll be looking for you. See you in a bit :)'

Moving with the general flow of the crowd I began to see what he meant. There were several rooms in which people could enter to see the video- each of them bearing a different flag above the door. After asking an orange helper what they meant, I learnt that the flags denoted what language the video would be shown in, and that, as I was an English speaker, I should head to the very end of the corridor for the room with all manner of English speaking countries flags above its entrance. Thanking him profusely for his help, I wandered on looking at all of the different flags that were on display. There were so many nationalities here- with flags that I didn't even know existed! The English speaking room was at the very end of the corridor- just my luck. Walking in behind a pair of jolly Scotsman (who were wearing kilts for the occasion!) I spotted Sam, who was, as he promised he'd be, on the left of the double door entrance. He was sipping water from a plastic, disposable cup that was crunched between his fingers. I could sense his nervousness from here.

"Hey" I say, walking up to him. He drops his cup in the bin next to him, and grins at me.

"Hey, Lex! I am so glad you're here- it's so nice to see someone who disgusts these conventions as much as I do!" He whispered the last part rather emphatically, and I laughed. He was right- everyone else looked simply elated at the prospect of possibly finding their soulfinder. Sam and I stuck out like sore thumbs, each of us humming with a nervous energy that I doubted even a heavy dose of anti- anxiety tablets would be able to quell.

"Want to find some seats?" I asked, gesturing to the auditorium that was rapidly filling up with a steady stream of savants.

"Yeah- we don't want to be near the front. I reserved us some seats this way- come on." He led the way through the thick crowd, keeping a loose grasp on my wrist to ensure that we didn't get separated. Battling our way through the masses of people we took our seats in the back row. The room was designed like a massive lecture theatre, although was much more informal, and didn't contain any desks. There were hundreds of rows of seats, on a slight downward slant, which lead to a small stage and a large screen, where I guessed the video would be projected onto. The angle of the seats meant that even on the back row we still got a really good view of the screen- not that either Sam or I wanted one. Helpers in orange shirts urged savants to move closer together and fill all of the available seats in order to free up room for others. This is how I ended up sat next to a middle aged American lady who just didn't shut up, even though no one was listening to her! As soon as we moved to occupy the seats next to her I immediately understood why everyone had given her such a wide berth. Before I'd even sat down she was talking to me!

"Hi, I'm Megan" she held out her hand for me to shake

"Alexis" I said in response, holding out my hand to shake too. She didn't seem to acknowledge this- instead ploughing straight into her solo performance of her life story so far.

"I'm 40, and I'm from Texas" Ah, so that explained the Southern drawl "and this is my 16th convention so far. I've been to every single one- not just the global ones. I'm so excited to be here-" I blocked her out at this point- I had no desire to listen to her blathering on about every inconsequential detail of her life. Instead, I decided to nod at the appropriate time, and pray the video began to start very soon. Thankfully, a few minutes later, a man sat down on her other side and she turned her attention to him- much to my relief. I turned to Sam, opening my mouth to convey just what I thought about motor-mouth Megan, but I didn't get the opportunity. Instead, the lights began to dim, and the screen at the front of the auditorium lit up. A tinny voice sounded over the tannoy system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 5th annual savant soulfinder convention. Please turn your mobile phones off, and listen attentively to the following presentation, which will last for approximately 20 minutes. Try to contain yourselves- the matching is only half an hour away!" I rolled my eyes- I was definitely able to contain my excitement- I didn't have any. Megan, on the other hand, seemed to have much more of an issue. She was currently bouncing up and down on her seat like a child in the middle of a sugar high. I really pitied the man that ended up with her- he wouldn't be able to get a word in edgeways! Thankfully, the video began to play, and a woman- the presenter I guessed, moved into shot. When her face came into view I seemed to recognise her from somewhere, but I couldn't think where. She began to talk then, interrupting my inner ramblings.

"Hi, I'm Dr Victoria Blackford- science reporter for the BBC." I knew I recognised her! But why on earth was she presenting this video? She couldn't be a savant- we were supposed to remain anonymous, out of the public eye. "I met my husband, Jared Blackford, at last year's convention, and I'm here to explain to you about what's going to be happening today." Right, so she was a savant. So much for anonymity being the most important rule- she was flouting it in style! The camera cut away just as a man, who I presumed to be her husband, walked into shot and embraced her. I brought a hand up to my forehead, groaning. I really didn't want to watch their affections for one another on the big screen, or at all in fact! Judging by the look on Sam's face, he didn't either- he looked positively ill at the thought of finding his soulfinder at the convention. The video then changed topic, with Victoria opting for a serious tone to explain the rules of the convention.

It was then that the strange prickling sensation that I'd felt yesterday came back with fervour. I tried to ignore it, scratching my neck slightly in order to try and ease the sensation, whilst still paying attention to the video. The sensation only amplified as the video continued, but I learned to ignore it, however odd it may be. I'd get Savannah to have a look at my neck when I got home, see if she could pin down what was causing these random sensations.

I turned my full attention back to the video, which was now explaining exactly how the matching procedure worked. It was exactly as demonstrated in the leaflet that the Net had sent to me previously. The video used a diagram to explain proceedings, with Victoria's chirpy voiceover aiding the explanation. Women were to sit on the outside of the circle, whilst the men would be on the inside. The men were to move in a clockwise direction, and were to move on after a minute, which was signalled by a loud alarm that could be heard all across the room. Once people found their soulfinders they would leave the circle and go into a different room, where there were refreshments on offer, to get to know each other. That table would then be removed by helpers, and the circle would gradually get smaller as a result. People were allowed to make links in their native language, and there were translators in green shirts dotted around the room, which would help any communication issues between soulfinders. The process was to continue until every savant had met all of their possible matches, which, they were anticipating, could take up to four hours! Thankfully, there would be a fifteen minute break after each hour, to allow people a chance to nip to the loo and eat. The explanation ended by Victoria reminding us that one of the rules of the convention was that each participant had to make contact with the other- that way there was no way that any matches to be missed. And, with that, the lights turned back on and the screen went blank.

I sat there shell-shocked for a minute. The audience were whooping and cheering- eager for the matching to start, but I just feel numb. The tinny sound of the tannoy echoed over the auditorium once more- directing those on the outer circle to leave via the back doors, whilst those on the inner circle should leave via the front doors. Shaky, I stood up with Sam. The enormity of the situation had suddenly come crashing down on me, and I wasn't ready for it.

"So, I guess this is it" I say, as we give each other a quick hug.

"Yeah" he replies, running his hand through his hair in nervousness.

"Text me how you get on?" I ask him. He forces a smile at me.

"Yeah- I will do. You too, yeah?" I nod in response as we begin to walk out of our row.

"Good luck, Lex" he says, before descending the steps towards his exit.

"And you" I reply with a smile. He turns, heading towards his exit, and I head to mine. And suddenly, suddenly I feel all alone. How is it that in a crowd of people you often feel the most isolated? 'Please' I think to myself- praying that some higher power can hear me- that anyone can hear me. 'Please let Alice be wrong. Please don't let me find him.'

Walking along with the flow of the crowd I couldn't help but feel this sense of utter helplessness. Alice's vision was going to come true- they always did. I just had to resign myself to that, as difficult as that was. After today my life would change forever- marginally, or enormously I didn't know which, but after today I'd finally face my soulfinder. I think the worst part is the not knowing. Not knowing if they were a chauvinist, if they were a jerk, or if we even spoke the same language. And for most people- if they were going to ever meet them. It was like waiting for some massive Result's Day, but never knowing when the date would be, or if it would ever come. My skin felt clammy as I walked- a thin sheen of sweat covering my body, even though it was mild inside. People were shoving past each other as we walked- desperate to make it to the matching room first. I hung back, allowing the hordes of jabbering women to march past me. I didn't quite understand their urgency- for the matching would not commence until everyone was seated.

Once the main group had charged through I followed them at a more sedate pace. Passing through an enormous archway I entered the infamous 'matching room'. It was a lot larger than I had ever anticipated, like a giant aircraft hangar- so large that I had to really squint to make out the ends. The tables were arranged in an oval formation, as promised, with chairs on either side of each table. Small maps were handed to each of us by helpers as we filed in containing a numbered diagram of the layout of the floor plan. The numbers of the tables on the map helped you work out where you were sat, allowing you to find the quickest route to your seat. Well, that was the idea. I, meanwhile, was trying to work out which was the quickest escape route from my seat. Studying it, I saw that I was directly in front of a large pillar, which meant that in real life it was easy for me to find my position. Savants were already beginning to take their seats, and I moved swiftly towards mine, dodging past the elderly women who were shuffling towards their seats. The prickling at the back of my neck seemed to grow stronger as I walked, and I tried to rub it away with the palm of my hand.

I found my seat a couple of minutes later. As promised by Phee, there was a giant label with my name and the unflattering ID photograph I'd sent in sellotaped to the table top, so I had no doubts that this was where I was to sit. I sat gingerly, shrugging off my jacket and hooking it on the back of my chair. It was quite disconcerting to see an enormous photograph of myself staring up at me, and so I made quick work of removing it, despite the damage it did to my already shabby nails. Peeling it off quickly I shoved it into the pocket of my jacket- promising myself that I would drop it in the bin at the next opportunity. Thankfully, no one had sat opposite me yet. I looked at their placard- it wasn't sellotaped down like mine as the inner circle moved, so it was just for initial identification, and could be removed once they sat down. I spun it round to face me, nervous to see who my first potential soulfinder candidate was. The card said that his name was Dylan Moore, and his ID picture showed that he was very handsome. He had the whole surfer vibe going for him, with a golden tan, and choppy blonde hair.

"Gorgeous, isn't he?" a voice said to my left. I jumped, startled, turning to see a bespectacled blonde male hovering over my shoulder.

"Yes…" I say, slightly confused by his ogling. I replace the placard, swivelling in my chair to look at him as he takes his seat on the outside of the circle, just to my left.

"I'm sorry, but shouldn't you be" I point to the inside of the circle, where the men were sat. I didn't quite understand how he could be on the wrong side- that was the most obvious thing about this layout! He began to cackle in response, keeling over as if I'd said something so hilarious that he was no longer capable of sitting upright. I watched bemused at his antics. He recovered himself a few moments later, theatrically wiping a tear of laughter from his eye and pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"I'm sorry, but that's the first time someone's ever mistaken me for being straight!" And with that explanation, he began laughing again. My cheeks flared red in response, and I raised my hand to my mouth.

"I am so, so sorry!" I say, shocked- totally mortified at my misjudgement. "I didn't mean-" he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry love-I'm not offended!" I tried to smile back, still incredibly embarrassed at my incorrect assumption.

"So, you like the look of" I tilt my head and look back at the placard "Dylan, then?" I ask. His eyes light up in response.

"Uhuh! He is looking mighty fine!" He licks his lips suggestively, and throws me an exaggerated sultry wink. I laugh in response, entertained by his antics. "What I would do to him!" he continues, and I squeal with laughter.

"Stop, stop! I don't want to hear anymore!" I laugh, clapping my hands over my ears. He grins cheekily in response. "So, it's mainly about the looks with your soulfinder then?"

"Yeah." He's so matter of fact that I wholeheartedly believe him. He pretends to think for a while. "Well, I suppose personality might matter a tad."

"Just a tad?" He's serious for a moment

"Okay, maybe a bit more than a tad" He says genuinely "But, I ain't gonna turn down a man with a smoking body!" He wiggles his eyebrows, and I roar with laughter. "Well, Alexis Anderson, you certainly look much better in real life than on your photo." So he'd been looking at my label as well as Dylan's.

I groan, "You saw that?" He grins cheekily back at me.

"It wasn't that bad! Anyway, you looking for a fitty today?"

"Fitty? I didn't realise people still used that! Nah, I'm hoping I don't find anyone today." He looked confused for a moment, opening his mouth to answer, when a man approached him, asking for directions. Once he'd answered him, he looked back at me.

"I'm Tyler, by the way"

"Well, I guess you already know my name!"

"Yeah, sorry- it's a bit of a bad habit, but I always like to see who I'll be sat next to at these things." I smiled.

"Don't worry about it. Have you been to many of these then?"

"Six, and I'm still looking for him. Hopefully I'll find him today! The inside circle moves clockwise, so I get to talk to whoever's just talked to you- so warn me if they're a weirdo!" I laugh.

"Sure thing. I'll cough if they're normal, and sneeze if they're a weirdo- it can be our secret code."

"Much appreciated" he said, saluting me as though we were in the army. I giggled, my anxieties fading from Tyler's distractions.

A tannoy then sounded over the arena: 'Ladies and gentlemen please take your seats. Matching will commence in 5 minutes." The nerves came back in full force. A full year of dread had led up to this moment, and the ordeal would begin in just 5 minutes. I took a few calming breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth, in through the nose, out through the mouth. I repeated this mantra in my head- a steady timbre that kept me sane. A chair leg scraped across the floor in front of me, and I looked up.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, slipping into the seat in front of me. I nodded, unable to talk at present.

"I'm Dylan." He held his hand out for me to shake.

"Alexis" I replied a couple of moments later, leaning over to shake his hand. When our skin touched I felt nothing. No sparks or electricity, no paranormal connection had been formed. He wasn't my soulfinder- I could tell that just from our handshake, telepathy wasn't even required in this case. I let out a sigh of relief. The tannoy started up again: "The matching has now begun. You have one minute until the bell. Good luck and happy matching."

And so, it began. The next hour was a whirlwind of activity, with me reluctantly making telepathic connections with so many people on the inside circle. Dylan, the hippy Australian, it turned out, wasn't Tyler's soulfinder, much to his disappointment. I'd never seen so many savants- I'd never known so many existed! There were Brits, Americans, Canadians, Frenchmen, Danish, Kiwis, Aussies, Chinese, Koreans- and some who spoke languages that I had never heard of. Needless to say, it was rather awkward trying to talk to someone when the only word you both knew was 'ok'. Most of the savants I spoke to, or attempted to speak to, seemed okay bar a few. It was just this one man- he seemed about 35ish, and he kept leering at me for the whole minute and asking me all sorts of odd questions. I was relieved when he moved on, despite the fact that I could feel his eyes on me for the rest of the hour. It was a minute before the first break, and everyone had just one last savant to talk to before the 15 minute interlude. The room was nearly empty now- so many matches had been made in the last hour. It was quite ridiculous, really! Tyler had already found his soulfinder in a quiet German called Josef, and they seemed truly happy together, for which I was glad.

I was isolated in this area of the circle- tables from where couples had found each other had been removed immediately after they left, and so I was now metres away from anyone. I drummed my fingers on the table top, looking forward to grabbing a snack before the next round of matching began. The bell had just rang, but it took the next person a few moments to walk to my desk now that much of the circle had been removed.

I looked up from the table top to see my next potential soulfinder sit down. I glanced up at him as he sat, and couldn't help but stare. He was gorgeous, with an olive skin tone and dark messy hair. He was more suited to the pages of a Hollister catalogue than sat here opposite me. His long limbs spilled over the chair- making it look positively child-sized. He gave me a broad grin, showcasing his impossibly white teeth and dimples. I saved his eyes until last, looking into them once I'd absorbed the rest of him. We gazed at each other, and it was as though time froze for a while. We were suspended in this moment together. The air crackled between us, humming with an electricity I couldn't describe. His hazel orbs bored into mine, and I stared back with the same fascination. His hand gently closed on mine, stopping my fingers from drumming out their rhythm on the table top. The instant his skin touched mine my skin was alight. The prickling sensation that I'd felt on the back of my neck for the past few days erupted- spreading like wildfire across my skin. I gasped in response, jerking back suddenly. His grin grew impossibly wider- and his eyes lit up with excitement.

"It's you!" he said, elated.

"What?"

"You. You're my soulfinder!" My heart fell to my feet, and my face morphed into an expression of horror. No. No, it couldn't be. I wouldn't let it be. He didn't let me expression deter him though, or perhaps he didn't register it. Instead, he ploughed on.

"I'm Will, Will Benedict. What's your name, beautiful?" his voice washed over me, a rich baritone that affected me in ways I couldn't describe. He leaned over and brushed a stray curl away from my eye, tucking it gently behind my ear. I couldn't respond. I was frozen. He was a Benedict. My soulfinder was a Benedict. The ones who took away my sister's soulfinder, and now he was here trying to find his own. I coughed, clearing my throat.

"I don't know what you mean." I said, lying through my teeth. He was my soulfinder, I knew it in my bones- it was ingrained in my DNA. But my mind overruled my heart. I didn't want a soulfinder. And, I definitely didn't want a Benedict. Accepting him would be the ultimate betrayal to my sister. His friendly demeanour was all a façade- he was just like the rest of his family underneath- a cold, heartless, merciless murderer.

"No, the connection we have! You must feel it! You're my soulfinder! Oh God, I've waited so long for you, and now you're here!" He reached over to brush his hand against my face, making to cup my cheek. I moved away.

"No. You're wrong. I didn't feel anything." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and his face fell.

"You must have done? Not anything? Anything at all?" his eyes looked saddened, and it took everything in me to continue with the lie.

"Nope" I replied, not able to look him in the eye.

"Let me try telepathy. You'll feel it then." Before I could tell him not to, he looked right at me and tried it.

'Hello' His voice battered through my mental shields, and was unlike anything I had experienced- a pure, melodic tone, infused with a lilting American drawl that only I could hear. My body hummed with recognition- he was my soulfinder. There was no doubt about it. I tried to keep my face impassive.

"No. Still nothing." I said, looking down at the table top, and inspecting my nails. He put his hand under my chin, tilting my head so that I was looking right at him.

"You're lying to me" he said sorrowfully. "I don't know why- I don't know what I've done to upset you, but I can tell that you feel it too." I shook my head furiously, pulling away from his light hold. "Okay, talk to me telepathically then. If I don't feel it then I'll believe you."

I opened my mouth to come up with some excuse- if I spoke to him he'd know without doubt that I was his soulfinder. The bell interrupted me, and the tannoy announced that it was time for the break. I stood abruptly.

"Well, look at that" I said, smiling brightly, and tucking my chair under the table. I grabbed my jacket, and bag. "Time's up. It was nice meeting you Will. Good luck finding your soulfinder." Without waiting for a response, I turned and speed walked towards the nearest exit. I heard his chair clatter to the floor as he followed me, jogging a couple of paces to catch me. He caught my wrist in his hand, and turned me to face him. We were chest to chest, our torsos touching. I was tiny in comparison to him- my head barely reaching the top of his shoulder. He smelt divine, a woodsy, musky scent that reminded me of the outdoors. I had to physically restrain myself from burying my nose in his shirt and inhaling deeply. He wrapped his muscled arms around me, preventing me from moving.

"You're not going anywhere until you've spoken to me telepathically." He tilted his face, so that we were looking directly at one another- our noses nearly touching. I opened my mouth to argue, but he pressed his thumb gently over my lips to prevent me from talking. "These are the rules of the conference- both of the participants must talk telepathically to the other. I can get a member of security to explain the rules to you?" He offered, twisting me so that I could see the burly security guard, who was eyeing our display with amusement.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, darling, I most definitely would. You're way too precious to let go." His eyes were earnest and soft, indicating a kindness beneath this hard approach. He pressed his forehead to mine, bringing us impossibly closer.

"Fine" I whispered murderously, my eyes blazing with hatred. I'd talk to him, he'd realise, and then I'd shake him off. He wouldn't be able to find me, and I wouldn't come to another convention. I wasn't about to let any soulfinder walk into my life- especially not a Benedict.

'You're a dick' I spoke telepathically to him. His reaction was immediate. He laughed beautifully, and then proceeded to pick me up in his arms, hugging me tightly to him, and spinning me round as though I was a rag doll. He set me down gently, encasing me in his arms, before pulling back to look at me.

"It's you! It's definitely you!" he yelled, delighted. He cupped my face in both of his large palms, and gazed at me with an expression of wonder. "I can't wait to start our life together!"

**So, who recognised 'Red lips' and Ian from 'Finding Sky'? I thought it would be a bit boring if they just died- I always wanted to know when I read the books what would happen if Sky saw them again (not to mention what Zed would do!) Please leave a review. Hugs x**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to those who reviewed! This one's for you. I hope you like it! x**

Will took my hand, lacing our fingers together, and led us towards the 'mingling area' that had been mentioned in the video, so that we could 'get to know each other'. Ick. I had no intention of getting to know him- I knew exactly what he, and his family were like. I yanked my hand out of his hold- his presumptuous attitude was irritating. We weren't going to get together immediately- or ever, and he needed to accept that right now!

His face looked anguished as I extricated myself from his hold- storming off ahead of him in the hope of losing him in the crowd. I may have looked like a stubborn, spoilt child, but I didn't care. The sooner I could ditch him the better. Unfortunately, he caught up with me far too quickly- his long strides easily catching mine. Gingerly, he rested the palm of his hand on the small of my back, gently guiding me forward. I shot him a glare, and he smiled back angelically.

"Drinks are this way." He said, steering me through the crowd of savants towards the drinks stand. I didn't reply. The crowd was thick and we were pressed tightly against one another. I could just about make out the stand beyond the sea of bodies, but getting to it was an impossibility. Will could also see this, and he turned to look at me.

"I'll get the drinks. You stay here. Right here- don't move, I'll be right back." His hands lingered on my back for a while, as if unable to let me go. He turned towards the table, glancing back every so often to check that I'd obeyed his instructions. Like I was seriously going to let this chance of escaping pass me by? As soon as he turned back to face the table I made my move. Forcing my way through the crowd I began to move towards the nearest exit, but it was slow progress. I could hear his anxious voice behind me, but I didn't stop.

"Hey! Stop, wait!"

I kept my head down and carried on walking. He'd lose me easily in the crowd. A man tapped me on the arm and I turned to look at him.

"Miss, I think that man's shouting you." He pointed at the hulking giant walking towards me. The crowd parted easily as he passed- gazing at him as though he was some sort of deity. I gulped as he drew nearer. The crowd was thinner here, and I knew that with his muscular physique that he could, and would, catch me easily. The opportunity had passed. Damnit!

"What happened to 'stay right there'?" he asked, upset. His tone was tinged with an underlying annoyance. I shrugged- I didn't have an answer. Well, I did. I was trying to evade him, but if I told him that he definitely wouldn't let me out of his sight- not that he let me out of his sight now. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated at me. I obviously didn't possess the attitude he was expecting his soulfinder to have.

"Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I was wondering if we could start again?" His eyes were pleading, and I found myself nodding before I could stop myself. He smiled in response, handing me a drink that he'd grabbed from the stand.

"Where's yours?" I asked, taking the plastic cup from him and sipping it quickly.

"I was just about to grab one for myself when I looked over and saw my soulfinder moving away from where I told her specifically to wait from me." He looked at me disapprovingly, and I averted my gaze. "I was too busy chasing after her to care about a drink. I'm not about to let you slip through my fingers." I kept my eyes on the floor.

"Sorry" I muttered, attempting, and consequently failing, to sound sincere. Really I was only sorry that I hadn't been quite quick enough to lose him.

"Forget about it." He said. "We're starting over." He smiled, and then put on his cheeriest grin. "Hi, I'm Will Benedict." He held out his hand, and looked at me- indicating with his eyes that I was to go next, and should introduce myself. Like I was going to do that! He wasn't getting any details about me- I was having nothing to do with him.

"I'm Mary… Smith. Yes, Mary Smith." I said, using the first name that popped into my head. Mary? I internally groaned. I could pick any name, and I went for Mary? I couldn't have made myself sound more like a Grandma if I'd tried. He grinned at me.

"Well Mary, my middle name's Joseph- so we're clearly meant to be together."

Kill me now. It was all I could do to stop myself from pretending to barf. Mary and Joseph? Seriously? Who incorporates the Bible into their pick-up lines? He carried on, ignoring my lack of amusement at his comment.

"So, Mary, where are you from"

"New Zealand" I replied, feigning nonchalance. I took another sip of my drink.

"You don't sound like a Kiwi." He raised his eyebrows, confused. I didn't respond to his silent question. "Well, I'm from Colorado in the United States of America." His chest puffed up as he said it, proud of his heritage.

"That's nice" I say blandly, staring at an incident occurring over his left shoulder. He moved so that he was in my eye line, blocking my view.

"So what part of New Zealand are you from then?"

"Sydney" I said without skipping a beat.

"Really? I though Sydney was part of Australia." Shit. I was so busted.

"Listen" I paused, pretending to forget his name.

"Will" he interjected to fill the gap. His face fell, and I could tell that he was hurt I'd forgotten it.

"Yes, Bill-"

"It's Will." He interrupted- angry.

"Right. Whatever. Listen, we can't be together because-" I stopped. I didn't have an excuse that he'd approve of, and I wasn't about to admit that I knew what he'd done to Alice. If I did that then he'd be able to find me.

"Because what?" he asked, concerned.

"Because I'm a lesbian." I blurted out before I could stop myself. He stared at me for a moment, blown away by this surprise admission.

"What?" he squealed. I didn't know a male could produce such a high pitched sound.

"Yep. Mary the lesbian- that's me" I said, laughing awkwardly and swinging my arms. I was such an embarrassment to myself- there was no way I could ever be an actress. My lie was so badly acted that it wasn't even remotely believable. I tried to rectify the situation. "See that woman over there?" I asked, pointing to a small, middle-aged woman who was taking far too much interest in our interactions. She'd been glancing at us the entire time we'd been talking.

"Yeah" he replied, following where my finger was pointing.

"She is smoking! I'm going to go and ask for her number." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hand along his collarbone and underneath the collar of his unbuttoned plaid shirt.

"What? Are you homophobic or something?" If he was, that gave me yet another reason to hate him. I'd need a list at this rate.

"No." he said, refusing to meet my face. "I'm not homophobic at all. It's just that…"

"That what?"

"That the woman you have a crush on is my Mom." My face flushed bright red, and the plastic cup slipped through my fingers. No wonder she'd been paying so much attention to us- she wanted to see who her son's soulfinder was.

"Right" I squeaked.

"Yeah, she's been happily married to my Dad, who is her soulfinder, for over thirty years. Besides, I can tell you're lying- I just don't know why. Am I that repulsive?"

"What? No I'm not."

"Yes you are- I can tell. It's a thing between soulfinders- I know when you're lying to me." He looked at me, and I squirmed guiltily under his gaze.

"Right. Well, I need to go to the toilet now, so-" He grabbed my arm before I could move.

"No. Don't even think about it- I don't trust that you'll come back. Besides, don't you think I know that the toilets are right next to the exit?" I shook his arm off me. Cripes- evading him was going to be much tougher than I thought. He was so annoyingly persistent. Well, there was only one thing for it.

Now, I hated using my power. Yeah, it sounded great on paper, but when you thought about it, it was just plain wrong to force people to do things against their will. With me it was even worse, because I could make it so the victim had no recollection of me telling them to do it. I hardly ever used my power, and I was determined to keep it that way. But today… today was an exception. Closing my eyes I tried to enter his mind, to tell him to let me go. Unfortunately his shields were too strong- like thick lead walls, which I had no way of forcing myself through. He felt my attack, despite my attempts to be subtle.

"Hey! What are you doing?" He asked, with a slight hint of betrayal.

I needed to catch him off guard. If his shields dropped for just a split second then I could enter his mind, give him the command, and I could leave. Forever. I could return back to my life, and forget this horrible mess ever happened. I wouldn't feel guilty, I told myself. No, I wouldn't feel guilty for telling him a pack of lies, and running, even though it was a cowardly thing to do. Soulfinders weren't all that great anyway- he'd be fine without me. Anyway, why did I care? He was a Benedict- he didn't deserve any of my sympathy.

"Mary, what are you doing?" he pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead as I to try and physically prevent my mental attack. I smiled up at him innocently. I needed to do something unexpected, to catch him unaware and cause his shields to drop.

"This" I replied, grabbing the collar of his check shirt and pulling his lips to mine. He was shocked for a moment- his lips unresponsive against mine, before he began kissing me back with fervour, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

And that was all it took. The unexpectedness of my actions caused his shields to drop momentarily, and that was all I needed. I was in.

'Let me go. Do not follow me. Forget I told you this.'

The command took root in his mind. Satisfied it had stuck, I pulled my back from him, breathless. His arms dropped from my waist, and fell to his sides.

"Right Phil, I'm going to go to the loo now."

He nodded at me, dazed. His eyes were glazed over- that happened when I used my power on people, and it made me feel sick. I hated knowing that I could do that to someone. But this was different, it had to be done. Turning, I hightailed it towards the toilets, the exit, and my freedom.

Moving towards the exit I had to physically restrain myself from breaking into a run. Freedom was so close, yet it had never felt so far away. I didn't dare look back as I scuttled forward- I was petrified that I'd find Will chasing after me, even though it was impossible for someone to break one of my commands. People had tried, but they were iron-clad, and totally unbreakable. I kept my head down as I moved through the crowd. The tannoy sounded, saying that the next round of matching would begin, and so all that were left in the room were savants who had just found their soulfinders. Thankfully, this meant that they were so blissfully happy and wrapped up in one another that they didn't notice me brush past them.

Reaching the exit I barrelled through the double doors and found myself in the foyer I'd registered in earlier this morning. There were helpers with giant buckets full of donation money, and they were trying to collect more. A guy close to the doors shook his, the coins jangling around obnoxiously as his arm flexed, trying to catch my attention.

"Donations to help fund next year's convention. Every little helps Ma'am."

"Sorry, I haven't got any change" I lied, walking past him. Like I was going to donate any of my money to help this tradition continue. If it hadn't been for the convention I wouldn't be in this mess. I could only hope that the Net went bust, and no other conventions were ever held.

"Okay, no worries" he shouted cheerfully at my retreating figure. "Just don't forget to sign out Miss". Drat. I'd forgotten about that mandatory part of the convention. All savants were required to sign out after the convention was completed, to get you to update your contact details, and most importantly your relationship status. Soulfinders could sign out, and therefore take themselves off the list. Those who hadn't met their match then signed out and remained on the list for the next year. Unfortunately, I couldn't follow proper protocol. If I said that I hadn't found my soulfinder, then I wouldn't be allowed to leave. The rules stated that unmatched savants had to stay until all matching was complete to ensure that a match hadn't been missed, and I couldn't say I'd found my soulfinder because leaving without them was unheard of, and would raise too much suspicion. The signing out section was similar to the checkout section of a supermarket. There was a great row of desks manned by the helpers, and you had to pass through one to make it to the exit on the other side.

Now, I could easily use my power on a helper when I got to a desk. I could get them to think that they'd filled out my forms, so that I could escape without raising suspicion, but I'd already used my power once today, and once was enough. I didn't use my power lightly- I tried to refrain from using it at all. It felt wrong. So, instead I opted for the traditional method. I bolted.

Clasping my bag over my shoulder I propelled myself forward- launching myself into a full-out sprint. I raced through the gap in the barricade of wooden desks, and tore down the stone steps that I'd queued up earlier. I heard a commotion behind me, someone yelling at me to stop. But I didn't. I didn't dare look back. Instead, I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. My feet pounded on the slabs, and I thanked my lucky stars that Alice hadn't forbidden me from wearing my converse. They made for the perfect getaway shoe, so sometimes casual was the way forward.

Shit. Alice! In my panic I'd totally forgotten about my baby sister. I'd reached the bottom of the steps now, and no one had followed me, so I settled for a fast walk back to the hotel. I was looking forward to lying on that massive bed and watching films before I had to leave for the airport. I opened my mind link to Alice, waiting to hear from her. It was much easier and quicker than phoning her. I needed to know if she was okay.

"Alice?" I asked. There was silence.

"Alice? Alice, are you there?" I called frantically, pausing mid-stride and debating whether or not I should turn and run back for her. I could take down the Benedict family. Okay, even I had to admit that that would be nearly impossible. Oh God! Why did I let her go with the Benedict's on her own? I shouldn't have let her- I should have insisted on going with her, despite what she wanted! I stood still on the pavement, the bustling commuters passing me by, and shooting me bemused glances at my stoic figure.

"Alexis" she replied, but I could sense that she was crying through the link.

"Alice, are you okay? What's wrong? Did they hurt you? I swear to God I'll kill them if they laid so much as a finger on you!" I growled.

"No, no Alexis. I'm fine. No, I'm better than fine. I'm wonderful, amazing, ecstatic, over the moon!" She crowed with delight. Well, this was a marked change from the depressed Alice that I'd known over the past year. I moved to the edge of the pavement, perching on a high wall that ran alongside it.

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"Oh, Alexis- the Benedict's didn't mean to kill Dragon. Yves' fire was meant to drive Dragon out. His death was totally unintentional- they thought he'd escaped the fire!"

"Are you sure, Alice?" I asked. I, for one, was not at all convinced. They could have just spun Alice a web of lies to conceal their true nature.

"Yeah, one hundred percent- they showed me what happened. They have this thing they do when they're all together- they sort of channel all their powers together somehow, and I saw Yves' memories. They weren't lying- I could tell because Sky had her power on the whole time, you know, that girl at security? So, yeah, it was an accident. And Yves felt awful. Phee too."

"Oh" I replied. I wasn't sure how to respond to the news that the family I'd hated with every fibre of my being wasn't actually evil. Not to mention the fact that my soulfinder then wasn't unquestionably wicked. Well that certainly threw a spanner in the works. Not that it mattered anyway. I'd made the right call. My soulfinder could have been Prince Charming, and I would have still taken the same course of action.

"And there's more, Lex!" Alice shrieked happily in my mind. "I've got a soulfinder!"

"What? That's not possible, Alice. We only get one- that's the whole point of soulfinders. Dragon was your soulfinder, wasn't he?"

"I know, Lex" she squealed, delighted. "But I've been given a second chance. I've got another soulfinder!"

"Alice, I know losing Dragon was hard, but you can't delude yourself into thinking that you get another soulfinder."

"Lex, I'm not delusional. It's real. The Benedict's told me. I didn't believe them at first, but now I know it's true! Crystal examined me- she's Xav Benedict's girlfriend, and she's a soulseeker." I knew exactly what a soulseeker was- they were revered amongst our kind. "She looked at my mind when I was seeing what happened in the fire, and she said she could sense a soulfinder connection- that she could see the severed connection between Dragon and I, but then she saw a new, more powerful connection. She said he's somewhere in Canada, and that he's my soulfinder! I don't know how it's possible, but I'm so happy, Lex! Dragon wanted me to be happy, that was his final wish, and fate has one that. Fate has given me another shot at happiness!"

I was flabbergasted. A second soulfinder was unheard of. But, it was brilliant! Alice hadn't been herself since Dragon's passing, and although she had improved since his death maybe this would be what she needed to fully recover, and return to the happy, bubbly Alice that we all remembered.

"Oh, Alice! I'm thrilled for you! That's brilliant, fantastic! I can't even-"

"Yes, I know!" she replied giddily. "I've been so lucky! Anyway, enough about me, what about you? How is he?"

"How do you know I've found him?"

"Alexis, we both know my visions are never wrong."

I knew all about that. "Yeah, I found him."

"And? So, where are you both? I want to come and meet my future brother-in-law!"

"He's at the convention."

"Okay, I'll come and meet you both. Just tell me where you're stood."

"Well, that's the problem. I… err, I'm outside the convention."

"Why are you there? Why is he not with you?" I don't reply. "Alexis, please tell me you didn't!" I remained silent. "Alexis! You've ran off, haven't you? How could you, Lex? The poor man! He must be distraught. And you promised me, Lex. You promised me that you'd give it a try!"

"I'm sorry, Alice. I'm sorry, but I don't want a soulfinder! I know you do, but you and I are different. I don't want to be forced into this. I'm sorry I've upset you, but I had to do it. Besides, he's a Benedict. I didn't know they were innocent."

"Well, now that you know he's not evil you can go and give him a chance. Or, at least tell him the truth- he at least deserves that. Don't run away like a coward- that's not you. Anyway, how did you run off without him? The Benedict's believe strongly in soulfinders, he wouldn't have just let you go." I waited for her to think about it. She'd quickly reach the answer without me telling her. She gasped.

"You didn't. Tell me you didn't use your power!"

"It's all I could do, Alice! He was so persistent, and I just wanted him to let me go home. I know it was the wrong thing to do- I hardly ever use my power, but this time it was necessary."

"Oh, Lex" she said softly. "The poor guy!" Mid-way through Alice's sentence I could feel the command I'd given Will beginning to slip, he was shrugging it off.

"Alice, he's breaking the command! How can he do that? No one can do that!" I said, panicked. With my gift I was able to see the state of the command, and lift it if I wished, from wherever I was. It was just when I issued them that I had to be within a few metres of the victim. I felt the command shatter- Will was no longer bound by me- he was no longer under my control.

"Alice" I whispered, frightened. "Alice, the command's gone. He's broken it. How can he do that?" Now there was nothing to stop him coming after me.

"It must be a soulfinder thing, Lex. He's immune to your powers." Then, I felt him breach my mental shield and enter my mind.

"Mary?" he sounded confused- he hadn't realised what had happened yet. I raised my mental barriers- blocking him out. He shouldn't have been able to breach my walls in the first place, but strengthening them was the only defence I had against him.

"He's gonna follow you, you know?" Alice said. "Benedict's are persistent. He won't let you go so easily."

I could sense Will's realisation at what I'd done to him through our link. Betrayal, anger and hurt smashed through me. The emotions were so strong that it was as though someone had taken a sword, and ran it straight through me. But then, I felt a much stronger emotion: determination. He'd made his mind up about something, and nothing was going to stop him.

"Alice, I'm going home."

"What? You can't, your flight doesn't leave until this evening, and it's only 12 now!"

"I'll get the Eurostar. You can buy tickets when you get there. I've got to get out of here."

"You can't run forever, Lex."

"I know. But I've got to try."

Jumping from the bench I began to speed walk towards the hotel, breaking my connection with Alice. Will was still administering a mental attack on my shields- trying to break through and talk to me, but for now they held strong. Keeping them up was sapping my energy, but I had to be strong. I couldn't let him in. The tingling sensation I felt when I was around Will had now lessened significantly upon entering the hotel's lobby, which was comforting. At least now I knew he wasn't nearby. Hopefully I'd never feel it again, then I could quite happily pretend today never happened as I'd be left with no physical reminders of my time in Paris.

Hopping into the first empty lift compartment I made my way to my hotel room. With shaky hands I slid the card into the lock, and walked in. I needed to get out of here- it wasn't safe to stay, and I knew my shields wouldn't hold for much longer. Pulling my suitcase onto the bed I began to pack, cramming everything back in, with no care. My toothbrush was chucked in alongside my pyjamas, and my clothes shoved in on top. I'd look forward to washing and ironing that lot when I got home. Glancing to see that I hadn't missed anything, I hurriedly yanked the zip until it closed, padlocking it for security, and wheeling it out behind me. The door shut with a bang behind me, and I jogged to the elevator to go downstairs and check out. My body was humming with a nervous energy- Will was mad when I moved from the drinks stand, if he ever found me I didn't want to know how angry he'd be that I'd travelled hundreds of miles to escape from him. I was scared, especially now I knew that my power didn't work on him- I was defenceless against him, totally at his mercy. As I stepped into the lift my phone rang and I answered it.

"Lex, just to give you some warning- I've just seen a majorly pissed off man, fitting the description of Will Benedict, leave the convention in the direction of your hotel."

I froze for a second, my hand hovering over the lift's buttons. How had he come after me so quickly? I'd barely left ten minutes ago. My heart pounded, and I felt the blood drain from my face. I snapped out of it, punching the button for my floor. Now wasn't the time to panic- I had to stay calm to get out of here.

"You there, Lex?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, sorry- I was just a bit shocked. Thanks for the warning Alice. I'll text you when I'm on the train."

"You should give him a chance, Lex. But I won't lecture you anymore, it's your call. Make sure you text me- I want to know you're safe."

"I will, don't worry. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too, Lex." And she hung up. I dropped my phone back into my bag as the lift doors pinged open. Striding out I dropped my key onto the reception desk. I didn't have time to fill out the appropriate paperwork. The tingling sensation was growing the longer I stayed here, which meant that Will was nearby. Shit. I ran out of the lobby, and looked for a cab. Thankfully an elderly couple were just exiting one, and so I managed to grab it. I chucked my bag in the boot, and hopped in.

"Eurostar terminal si vous plait Monsieur." I said. The tingling on my neck had increased tenfold, and it had become harder to shield my mind from Will's attempts to talk to me telepathically. My forehead was wet with perspiration- I was barely keeping him at bay. The driver nodded at me, and pulled away from the curb. Looking round I saw Will running towards me, his eyes were filled with a steely determination, and I shrank back in response. Our eyes met, although I knew that with the blackout rear windows of cab that he couldn't actually see me. He seemed to stare right through me, running past me and into the hotel lobby. I breathed a sigh of relief as the taxi moved into the flow of traffic. Turning, I looked out of the rear window and saw Will run out of the hotel, frantically scanning the traffic for something. Careering round a bend in the road Will disappeared from sight. I slouched in my seat, letting the tension drain from my body. I'd escaped. The further we moved, the weaker the tingling sensation, and Will's telekinetic force became. I'd actually done it! I was free!

**Please leave a review! Reviewers are the reason I write. Also, I need a name for Alice's soulfinder. Please comment a name in a review, and I may well use it! Thanks for your support guys! x**


	8. Chapter 8

The taxi driver dropped me off just outside the terminal, and I wandered in, tugging my suitcase behind me. It was nice and cool inside, which gave me some much needed relief from the soaring Parisian temperatures. Buying a ticket for a train that departed in half an hour, I sauntered through the departures lounge and picked up lunch for myself. At just over €300 the ticket to London had been pricier than I had expected, but I figured it was better than running into Will again. I texted Alice to let her know that I was safe, and then rang my parents. I'd forgotten to call them once I'd landed in Paris, and after a mini lecture from my father about how they'd been worried sick, they finally asked me about the convention. Now, I didn't really want to admit to my parents that I'd found my soulfinder, and was hoping never to see him again- they'd be angrier than Will if I admitted that. So, instead I lied, telling them that I hadn't met my soulfinder, and feigned a forlorn tone. They seemed to buy it, and I had to listen to them expressing their sympathies for ten minutes, which made me feel even guiltier for lying to them. Finally, they let me go, and I boarded my train.

Climbing aboard half an hour after buying my ticket, I stowed away my luggage and found myself a secluded spot in one of the emptiest carriages. I grabbed my phone, plugged in my headphones, and tried to forget about everything that had happened today. Try being the most important verb in that sentence. However much I tried to forget about Will, he just plagued my mind- I couldn't get rid of him! The further away from Paris I got, the weaker our bond became. By the time I reached London I barely needed to keep up my mental shields. The journey passed relatively quickly. From London I managed to catch a train to Rugby, where I transferred to Derby. It was an exhausting journey- the plane ride was definitely less stressful- there was no dashing for changeovers, or rushing to find a seat. But, I got home in the end, and that was what mattered. From the train station I took a taxi home, and rang Jack and Savannah to collect Monty. I'd missed my little furry friend terribly, and I wanted to see if he'd recovered from his injury. It didn't feel like home until Monty was with me.

Jack and Savannah lived in a beautiful little cottage in one of the most remote parts of Derbyshire. It took me about 25 minutes to get there from my flat via the thin country lanes that made Derbyshire so beautiful. I pulled up, and stretched my legs. Walking up their driveway I knocked on the door, and waited for a response. The door opened, and Monty came scampering out. He leapt on me, taking me by surprise, and knocking me over. I laughed happily, as he crawled along my torso and started licking my face. Scooping him up into my arms I stood up, and looked at Jack.

"You don't have to talk about the convention, Lex. I know it must have been hard enough talking to Mum and Dad about it." He scratched Monty's ears playfully. He was right. It was hard talking to Mum and Dad, but not for the reasons he was thinking of. It was hard to lie to them about my soulfinder, rather than being hard to talk to them about it because I was so consumed with grief that I hadn't found my soulfinder. I didn't reply- I was a terrible liar, and I didn't want Jack to suspect something. Only Alice knew the truth, and I was determined to keep it that way.

"Thanks. Anyway, did Mont behave himself? Thanks so much for looking after him Jack- I was so glad I didn't have to put him in the Kennels. How is he?"

"He was his usual cheerful self, Lex. He's still not quite a hundred percent, but he's close." I grinned, cuddling Monty to my chest. We exchanged goodbyes, and pleasantries before I set off home, Monty occupying his rightful place in the passenger seat. By the time I reached the flat, it was nearly seven, and I was exhausted. Too tired to do anything more than crawl into bed and sleep, I dropped Monty on his bed and headed to my room. I was just about to slip under the covers when my phone rang.

"Hello" I yawned sleepily down the line.

"Hey, Alexis it's me, Sam." His voice sounded worried, and tense. I sat up straight, rubbing my eyes blearily.

"Hey Sam, what's up?"

"Look, I know it sounds like a big ask, but I was just wondering if I could come and talk to you for a while, my flight's just landed. I found my soulfinder at the convention and I don't know what to do. You're the only one who understands where I'm coming from. I'm sorry for barging in on you-"

I cut him off mid-way through his frantic explanation. "It's fine Sam, that's what friends are for. Come over when you want." I reeled off my address to him, and said my goodbyes.

Sighing, I looked over at Monty who was fast asleep in his bed. How I envied him. I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight- Sam sounded really wound up. I made my way to the kitchen- a caffeine fix was the only way I could stay awake for the rest of this evening.

Wandering to the kitchen I boiled the kettle, and set about making myself a much required caffeine fix. A strong, black coffee was my beverage of choice, and I set about grabbing the appropriate implements, humming as I went. Whilst I waited for it to boil I nipped into my room to get changed into some warm, slouchy clothing, comprising of leggings and a massive hoody that I'd robbed from Jack. Hey! Don't judge me- it was way too snuggly to resist, even though it was his old rugby one. He hadn't noticed it was missing yet, and I was hoping to keep it that way!

Sam had texted to say that he was about 20 minutes away, having already left the airport. He'd left his car there whilst he was in Paris, so was able to drive to my flat as soon as he'd landed and passed through security. In the meantime, I was frantically charging round my rather messy flat, trying to make it look somewhat presentable. It wasn't that I was an unclean person- far from it! My flat always had to be immaculately clean. My problem was that I always seemed to leave things lying around, and never tidied them away. Not to mention the fact that Monty seemed to take great delight in scattering his toys all over the place, and enjoyed watching me find where he'd so ingeniously hidden them. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy this ritual as much as he did.

The doorbell rang half an hour later, whilst I was still trying to tidy up. Glancing over my apartment, I figured it didn't look so bad… Well, not so bad if you ignored the pile of ironing in the corner, my mail strewn across the kitchen worktops, and piles of marking dotted on any available flat surface. My flat, unfortunately, was designed so that it was nearly all open-plan (apart from the bedrooms, and the bathroom), which meant that all of my clutter was on show for anyone who came to visit. Cradling my cup of hot coffee I turned to answer the door, and was met with a very stressed looking Sam.

"You okay?" I asked, concerned, taking in his haggard appearance. I rested my hip against the door and took a sip of my coffee whilst I waited for his response.

"Yeah- I'll be okay. Sorry for dropping in on you like this. I'm so glad that you agreed to talk to me- I wouldn't have asked at such short notice, but you're the only savant I know that understands."

"Sam, it's not a problem- this is what friends are for. Come in, you must be knackered after the journey."

I pull the door open wider, and usher him in, gesturing that he should take a seat on the sofa in the lounge. He walked in, and moved to the sofa, dropping his bag and sinking into the mound of cushions.

"You want a drink?" I ask, placing my mug on the table and moving towards the kitchen. "I've got tea, coffee, hot chocolate, coke, water, squash…" I look at him enquiringly. "Oh, and sorry about the mess I haven't finished clearing up yet."

"A glass of water would be great, thanks." He says. I nod in response, busying myself by going to fetch it. Whilst I rummage through the cupboards I broach the subject of his visit.

"So you met her, then?"

"Yeah. She's called Elinor, and she's from Edinburgh. The convention was nearly finished when we got matched- I thought I'd gotten away with it."

I find a glass, and fill it up from the tap as he speaks.

"So what's she like?"

"Amazing. That's the problem. It was so different to what I was expecting- the connection between us was much stronger than I'd ever anticipated."

I brought the glass over, handing it to him, before I took my seat on the adjacent armchair.

"Did you like her?"

"Yeah, a hell of a lot. That's the issue."

"So, what did you do? Did you tell her about Catherine?" He cast his eyes downward, mulling over my question. He'd seen so sure of himself in the airport- so convinced that even if he found his soulfinder that she'd be nothing to Catherine, that nothing and nobody could make him change his feelings for her. But now… well. Well, now he was like a different person- no longer doubting the mystical connection between soulfinders.

"Yeah, I told her. It was awful, Lex- her eyes were welling up with tears, and her face just fell. It was like a whole chunk of me was just ripped out- as though I could actually, physically feel her pain. She'd waited for me, she just imagined that we'd get together, and walk off into the sunset together to live happily ever after. She never banked on me not waiting for her. Shit! This whole situation is such a mess!" He tugged fruitlessly at a loose thread on his jeans, yanking it roughly- channelling his frustrations at an inanimate object. I laid my hand on his arm, stopping his movement.

"Sam, look at me." He met my gaze. "It's all gonna work itself out. Have you got her contact details?"

He nodded. "Right, well then all isn't lost. Look, Sam, you're shattered, and we aren't going to get any further with this tonight. How about I order some pizza, you have a shower and then we watch a film and go to bed? You can stop in the spare room- it's best to sleep on it before you make any decisions. Besides, it's probably best that you don't face Catherine tonight- you've got too much going on."

"Lex, I can't impose on you like that! I've already been enough of a nuisance-"

"Sam" I interrupted. "I'm not taking no for an answer!" I grabbed the Domino's pizza menu from the cabinet by the sofa and handed it to him. "Pizza's one of the best comfort foods. Choose whatever you want, and I'll order it whilst you shower. I'll lay out some towels in the bathroom. We can talk some more while we eat." I turned to move, but Sam grabbed my forearm lightly.

"Thanks, Lex. For everything."

"You're welcome" I say with a soft smile, and with that I turn towards the bathroom, with Sam trailing after me.

XXX

I ordered the pizzas whilst Sam was in the shower. We'd gone for a Cheese and Tomato, and a Pepperoni , which was due to arrive within the next half hour. It couldn't come quick enough- I was absolutely starving! I hadn't really eaten all day, and now I was really feeling it. Right now I was rummaging through my film rack for something to watch while we ate. Normally I was a chick flick kinda girl, but I had a feeling that Sam would not share my enthusiasm for that kind of film genre. The back of my neck kept flaring up, like it had done earlier, but I was doing my very best to ignore it- despite how annoying it was. I was just deciding between 'Hot Fuzz' and 'The Shawshank Redemption' when the doorbell rang. I looked at the clock in disbelief- I'd only placed my order 15 minutes ago, delivery was never usually this fast! The doorbell shrilled again- the impatient pizza delivery boy was keeping his hand pressed down on the buzzer.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" I shouted, grabbing my purse and walking to the door. Fumbling through my purse for some cash I opened the door without seeing who it was. Boy, was that I mistake.

"Sorry, how much is it?" I asked, looking up at last, expecting to see Tom, the teenage who normally delivered my pizzas. Except, this was no spotty teenage pizza delivery boy. I gulped, taking in his appearance.

"Hello, Mary. Or should I call you Alexis?" Shit. I was so screwed.

**Haha! How are we liking Will's surprise appearance? Hehe- I've been planning this encounter from the beginning! Please leave a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to all who reviewed! You guys are awesome! :D**

I gasped, and moved to shut the door, but he stuck his foot in the doorjamb, resting his forearm against the wood and preventing me from closing it. He exerted pressure on the door and it gave way- flying open and crashing against the wall. He was mad, no, furious would be a better way to describe his current state of agitation. I jumped back, frightened both at the noise, and the steely determination shining in his eyes. I stumbled backwards as he moved towards me- entering the flat without my consent. He advanced stealthily, each footprint sure and steady as I backed further into the room- the hungry, domineering lion preparing to pounce on the quaking gazelle.

The back of my legs hit the lip of the armchair, and I collapsed onto it, curling up into a ball in order to cower away from the cool rage of my soulfinder. He approached me slowly, his steps calculated, confident; he was in control. He took a seat on the coffee table so that I was directly opposite him, and there was no chance of escape. He rested his hands on the arms of the chair- physically penning me in.

"So which is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Alexis or Mary; which do you prefer?"

"Alexis" I managed to stutter, not able to meet his accusatory gaze. I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.

"And just what part of New Zealand did you say you were from, Alexis? Sydney, was it?" I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, wrapping my arms around my knees.

"Yes, about that-"

"Yeah, let's talk about that. Let's talk about how you blatantly lied to my face before messing with my mind, and running off!" His voice grew louder towards the end of his tirade. He sighed, all anger now dissipating.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what I've done to upset you, maybe I was a bit too full on- I didn't mean to scare you off. I promise, I'm not all bad really. I mean, I'm not a horrible person, well at least I don't think I am… Look, I know what happened with your sister, and I know that having a Benedict as your soulfinder wouldn't have exactly been what you were looking for, but she didn't know the full story. We're not who you think we are- we're not all inherently evil." He looked at me imploringly, begging me to understand. Looking into his eyes I began to see beneath the rage, beneath his frustration and anger. I saw what was really upsetting him. Rejection. He was scared. Scared, and upset that he thought he wasn't good enough. And then I felt terrible. Awful for not wanting a soulfinder, bad for running away and upset for not being the sort of soul finder that he deserved.

"Look, Will… it's not you. It's not you at all. My soulfinder could have been anybody and my actions would have been the same. The thing is, that I don't want a soulfinder. After what happened with Alice I don't want the risk- I saw her pain and I just couldn't imagine going through it, and-" He reached for my hands, trapping them loosely within his big palms, and forced me to look at him.

"Alexis, it's not always like that. Most soulfinders find each other and are happy- happier than they've ever been, and they get to spend a lifetime together. You can't let these opportunities get away from you because you're afraid of what might happen. We have something incredible, and I know you feel it too- the energy, the crackle between us. It's electrifying. Don't ignore the other possibilities, Alexis."

"It's not just that, Will. I don't want some mystical connection to force us to be together- I want to be able to choose for myself." His eyebrows furrowed at that comment.

"We're not forced to be together- it's just fate's way of giving us a prod in the right direction." I quirked an eyebrow at him; he was lying. There was no way this Adonis would have fallen for me. "Besides, it's not all that medieval. It's not like we're supposed to get married straight away and have babies- you do get a choice in the matter."

"Look, Will you seem lovely. Honestly, I'm sure you're a great guy, but I just-"

And it was at that very moment that Sam decided to make his appearance from the shower. Will and I both turned our heads in his direction as he walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I knew this looked bad, very, very, very bad. I turned to Will to explain, but he'd turned a rather violent shade of purple, and was practically vibrating with anger. His grip on my hands had tightened, and I struggled to extricate myself from his hold.

"Will, look at me, this isn't what it looks like-"

"The Hell it isn't!" he yelled back, standing up, and knocking the coffee table backwards. "You tell me you don't want me as a soulfinder, and neglect to mention that you've already got a boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" He doesn't listen, instead looking at Sam with malice.

"She's right man, we're not-"

"She's wearing your frickin' clothes!" I looked down as Will pointed to my outfit. Why the hell did I have to pick Jack's very obviously male hoody to wear? Could my luck get any worse right now? This was not helping my cause.

"Will, you're jumping to conclusions-"

"I don't want to hear it, Alexis!" He roared "You clearly aren't interested, and enjoy toying with people's feelings. I wish you'd just had the decency to tell me, instead of lying to my face. Goodbye, Alexis. I won't bother you again." And with that he stormed out of the flat without looking back. It was odd. This was what I wanted to happen. I wanted my soulfinder to leave me alone, and allow me to have my old life back. But why, why did it feel so wrong. His parting words cut deep, but he was right. I was a lousy soulfinder- he should have had a much better girl than me. I could feel the tears welling up, and I wiped at them furiously. Why was I crying? This was what I wanted. I turned to Sam, who was looking rather confused by the incident, and was still just wearing a towel- his hair still dripping from the shower.

"What was that?"

"That" I say swatting at the tears that kept trickling down my face "was my soulfinder." His eyebrows shot up at that, and his mouth dropped open.

"Shit" he murmured. Yeah, shit was probably the best word to describe what had just happened.

"God, I'm sorry, Lex- if I hadn't been here, this wouldn't have happened." I waved off his apology. It wasn't his fault Will had leapt to conclusions.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, no- it's fine. I'll be okay." I smiled, putting on a brace face that I was sure he could see right through.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, definitely- don't worry." The doorbell rang then, interrupting our conversation.

"And that's the pizza!" I said with a grin, leaping up to get the door. "Sam, you go change- I'll get it ready." He smiled. I could tell from the look on his face that he was desperate to know more, but didn't voice that. He knew I didn't want to discuss it, and he didn't press the matter any further. He was a good friend.

"Sure, Lex. I'll be out in a minute."

The rest of the evening was a lot less dramatic than the first, for which I was very relieved. Thankfully, this time when I opened the door, I was greeted with two pizzas, and no unexpected, lumbering American- a marked improvement from my previous encounter.

Sam wandered out of the spare bedroom a couple of moments later, as I was setting the pizzas down on the coffee table in front of the TV.

"Hot Fuzz, or The Shawshank Redemption?" I asked him, holding up the two DVD cases that I'd picked for him to choose between.

"Hot Fuzz, every time, of course! No brainier!"

"I knew I was friends with you for a reason." I grinned, sliding the DVD into the machine, whilst Sam made himself at home on the sofa, and helped himself to a slice of pizza. Settling next to him, I grabbed a slice for myself as the opening credits began. It was perfect. As odd as it sounds, it was so nice just to sit, and forget. To laugh like any normal person, and pretend that I was completely, and utterly ordinary- that I had no idea of savants, soul finders, and anything else out of the ordinary. Seriously, normality was bliss, even if we had to return to the paranormal world soon after.

Two hours later, the pizzas lay demolished, and the final credits rolled onto the screen. Yawning, I turned to Sam, who was rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. It had been a really long day- I'd been up since 5, and it was now five past eleven. I was exhausted.

"So, any more thoughts about Elinor?" I ask.

"Any more thoughts about Will?" He asked cheekily in response, and I swatted at him.

"Hey, easy!" he shrieked, dodging my slaps with comical exaggeration. "And no." he answered, when I'd stopped hitting him. "I'm still not sure what to do."

"Sleep on it?" I suggested.

"Yeah" he agreed. "I'm ready to hit the sack."

He helped me to clear away our glasses and plates, stacking them in the dishwasher, before grabbing two glasses of water for us to take to bed.

"Lex, I think I'll leave early in the morning."

"That's fine, Sam. Just wake me up before you go, and I'll see you off."

"No, Lex. You don't have to get up. Honestly, I'd feel awful if I made you get out of bed really early, especially when I know you're so tired after today- you need your rest." I began shaking my head even before he'd finished his sentence, but a traitorous yawn escaped my mouth. Sam laughed, as I proved his point.

"See- you need your rest! I'll leave before you're up. No arguing!"

"Okay, fine" I acquiesced. "Just leave the door on the latch, so that it shuts behind you when you close it." I led him to the door to demonstrate how to set it, so that it would lock when he shut it behind him. We headed off to our own rooms then, both in desperate need of some sleep. I gave him a hug before we separated.

"Good luck deciding, Sam." I said, as I threw his arms around his neck. "I'll support you whatever you do. Wake me up if you want a chat before you leave, but if you want to head off, just send me a text so I know that you've go home safely." He released me gently.

"Sure, Lex, and thanks." I shrugged off his thanks, but he continued anyway.

"No, honestly, Lex- thank you so much for letting me stay the night. I really needed to clear my head, and I really appreciate it."

"No bother, Sam." I replied, as we both headed to our rooms.

"Night."

"Night" he replied, as he headed to bed. I turned off the hall light with a flick of the switch, and headed off to bed myself. I was in desperate need of a good night's sleep, but with Will still on my mind, I really doubted I'd be in for anything other than a fitful night's sleep.

**Please leave a review! Thank you for your continued support! I wouldn't write it if it weren't for you guys x**


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning dawned bright, and clear. It was as if, for a moment at least, that nothing had changed. That I could go about my 'normal' life once more. It was a short- lived moment of freedom, however, for then I remembered exactly what had happened in Paris, and in my flat the night before. Groaning, I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep- my clock said that it was 6am, which, in my opinion, was far too early to be up. School was out, for now at least, and I planned on making full use of the lie-in opportunities!

I hadn't managed to get to sleep until at least two in the morning, unable to shake the image of Will barging into my flat from my mind. Sighing, I tried to block it from my mind, and return to a state of slumber. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get back off.

Half an hour later, I could hear movement from the bedroom next door. It was now 6.30, so Sam had obviously decided to leave early like he said he would. Wanting to see what he'd decided to do regarding Elinor and Catherine, I grabbed my dressing gown from the peg on the back of my door, and wandered out into the hall. I was met by Sam, who was returning a glass to the kitchen- his suitcase already stood by the door, as he prepared to leave.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked.

"No, no" I responded. "I woke up at about six, and couldn't drop back off. Then I heard you leaving, so I thought I'd come and see what you'd decided to do. So, what have you decided?" He smiled bashfully at me.

"I've decided I'm gonna break it off with Catherine, and give me and Elinor a chance. I've just got this feeling, you know. I don't know how to describe it, but I just know I'm doing the right thing. That sounds crazy, though, doesn't it?"

Yes, yes it did, but I wasn't about to tell him that. He'd made his decision, and he seemed happy about it, and I was happy for him.

"Not at all, Sam." I lied. "I'm so happy for you!" He grinned in relief.

"Thanks, Lex. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm still no quite sure what I'm going to say."

"You'll figure it out, Sam. It'll come right, I'm sure."

"Thanks, Lex. Thanks for everything." He said, leaning over to give me a hug, and a kiss on the cheek before he left.

"You're welcome, Sam, anytime. Now, go get your girl!" He grinned as I jokingly pushed him towards the door, and waved him off, before heading back to bed. Hey, it was the holidays, and I was determined to make the most of them! Unfortunately, Monty did not share my views on lie-ins. Before I'd even managed to get back into my bed, Monty had leapt up from his, and scurried into my room, yipping as he went.

"Hey boy" I petted him as he wrapped himself around my legs, rubbing his ear against my leg. He ran off again, and returned with his lead in his mouth, dropping it at my feet expectantly. Ah, I knew exactly what that meant. His doleful brown eyes looked up at me, and his tongue lolled to one side. How could I possibly resist that?

"Okay, Mont." I sighed, crouching down to ruffle his neck. "We'll go- I know you won't take no for an answer." As if he understood, his tail started wagging excitedly. Laughing at him, I moved to the bathroom to put in my contact lenses, and get changed into my running kit.

My morning walk with Monty had become a tradition of sorts. Albeit, normally it did not take place at 7am on the weekends- that was reserved for the weekdays, before work. It was a good way to start the day, and gave Monty a chance to stretch his legs. Depending on how I was feeling our morning exercise consisted of either a one mile walk, or a three mile jog. Today was definitely a day for jogging- I had too much pent up energy that needed releasing. Besides, Monty seemed to have greatly recovered from his injuries, and a short jog would give him ample opportunity to test it out.

Tying my hair up into a high ponytail and lacing up my trainers, I headed back to my bedroom, where Monty was still sat obediently. Clipping his lead onto his collar, I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.

It was overcast outside- a stark contrast to sunny Paris. Pulling the hood of my jacket up, I plugged in my headphones and started jogging, holding Monty's leash in my hand as we ran side by side along the high street towards the park.

My feet slapped against the concrete as I ran, a constant tattoo that urged me forward. The fresh air rushed into my lungs, clearing my sinuses and re-invigorating me. Reaching the park, I let Monty off his lead to run free, whilst I completed a lap, watching him happily lollop through the grass, seemingly unhindered by his once injured paw. At the end of my lap I summoned him towards me, and waited for him to do his business, whilst I did some stretches. Disposing of his waste in the nearest bin, I put his lead back on, and began to walk back towards my flat. We'd been out for nearly an hour by now- the fresh air had done me good, and Monty was especially happy- he'd met another dog that he'd taken quite a liking to. Honestly, it was so depressing when your dog's love life was more fruitful that your own. I'd managed to drag Monty away from Storm, as I learnt she was called, after Monty had behaved rather inappropriately towards her. Hopefully we'd never bump into Storm and her owner in the park ever again- I don't think I could deal with the embarrassment.

Stopping off at the corner to shop to buy a bottle of water, I wondered what Sam was doing. He'd probably be home by now, maybe tentatively broaching the subject of a break up with his soon-to-be ex- girlfriend, who a couple of days ago, he'd thought would be his soon-to-be wife. A string of profanities left my mouth at the thought; this soulfinder business really did mess people up.

Returning home, I re-filled Monty's water bowl, and fed him his breakfast, which he wolfed down, as usual- anyone would think I never fed him! Leaving him to it, I went for a piping hot shower- ideal after a sweaty run. Towel drying my hair, and pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I wandered into the lounge, and looked at the large pile of marking awaiting me. I was in for such a great day. Sighing, I put the TV on low for some background noise, and began to work. Half an hour in, and I was a quarter of the way through my class's maths books. Unfortunately, judging by their answers, it seemed as if none of them had understood anything I'd been explaining, so I'd be re-explaining long division after the holidays.

Next to me, my phone buzzed with an incoming call, and I picked it up without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Lex, it's Rach." Rach was my best friend, and a fellow teacher, albeit we didn't work at the same school. We'd been best friends since childhood, and we knew everything about it each other. Well, she didn't know that I was a savant, but she knew everything else: my first crush, my first kiss, my first love. We'd been put in the same class in reception, and had been together ever since- bonding over our mutual love of netball and books. We still played together for a local team, and still had ridiculous aspirations of being best-selling authors. Hey, 24 isn't too old to dream!

"Hey, Rach! How are you? I haven't seen you in for ages!" Okay, I hadn't seen her since our last netball match, which was a week yesterday, but for us, that was classed as ages.

"I know- far too long! Anyway, I was ringing to ask if you fancied going for brunch? I just thought it would be good for a catch-up. What do you think?"

"That sounds perfect, Rach. Costa in town?"

"Girl, you know me far too well! Meet you there for 11?" I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 10.15 now, and it only took me 10 minutes to get to town by car.

"Yeah, that's good for me. I can only be a couple of hours, mind, as I don't want to leave Mont for too long. You know how he gets if I'm gone for more than a couple of hours." Neither of us needed reminding of the time I'd gone out for brunch with Rach for a bit longer than usual, and had returned to a chewed sofa, and ripped pillows.

"Yeah, that's fine, we don't want another cushion massacre on our hands! See you in 45?"

"Yep, see you in a bit, Rach!" I said, hanging up. Brunch was well-needed! I hadn't eaten yet, as I hadn't been shopping, and I was starving. Besides, it provided a welcome excuse for not marking. Thank God I had two weeks of holiday to get through it all!

Clearing away my marking, I got ready for brunch with Rach- making sure Monty was settled, grabbing my handbag, and searching frantically for my car keys. Finally finding them in the bread basket, I headed out.

XXX

I was late. As usual. I'd parked my car next to Rach's in the car park, and I was now dashing down the street at five past 11. I darted into Costa to see Rach was already sat down with two drinks in front of her. This was a regular occurrence. I was always late, so Rach would buy my drink for me, and wait for me to show up.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed as I walked over to the table, she stood, as we hugged one another, our regular form of greeting. She laughed at me.

"No worries, Lex." Grinning bashfully, I slid into my seat and took a sip of my hot chocolate. It was pure heaven, as always, and I let out a moan. I always went for a hot chocolate, regardless of the temperature- it was liquid gold.

"So how have you been, Lex?" She asked, lifting her coffee up to her lips and taking a sip. It was then that I saw the massive rock adorning the fourth finger of her left hand. That had not been there the last time I'd seen her! I squealed, pointing at her hand as I swallowed, and set my cup down. She grinned, and blushed in response to my antics. I grabbed her left hand in mine, and set about examining the ring.

"Oh my God, Rach! When did this happen? I'm so happy for you! Oh God, it's gorgeous- Dan did such a good job picking it!" She laughed happily.

"He proposed a couple of days ago, Lex- I've been dying to tell you, but I wanted to do it in person! He took me out for dinner, and then asked in the middle of the restaurant! It was so romantic! God, I love him. And I most definitely love the ring- the boy did good!"

"Good? He outdid himself, Rach!" I said, still in awe. Rach and her long term boyfriend, Dan, had been childhood sweethearts, and were absolutely adorable together. They'd kept their relationship afloat whilst they both went to universities hundreds of miles away from one another, and were even stronger because of it.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" She said, fiddling with her ring, with a dreamy expression on her face. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to be one of my bridesmaids?"

"Rach, are you kidding? Of course! I'd love to!" She beamed at my answer- doing a little happy dance to showcase her excitement.

"Yay! I was so nervous to ask!"

"Rach, as if I'd really say no!"

"Anyway, enough about me-"

"You're engaged, Rach- it's all about you!" She flapped her hands in front of her face, embarrassed- she hated being the centre of attention, as did I. It was another reason why we got along so well.

"Not true! Well, at least I hope it's not! I want to know about your love life Lex. Don't think I haven't noticed that's something's up with you!" She quirked her eyebrow as if to exaggerate her point.

"I don't know what you mean" I stammered out. And genuinely, I didn't. Sure, I felt guilty about what had happened with Will- really guilty, but I wasn't love struck or anything. Well, at least I didn't think I was. Besides, I definitely wasn't showing it.

"Well that shaky answer just confirmed that something is definitely up, Lex. Spill"

"There's nothing to spill, Rach. I promise." Well, there definitely was, but I couldn't exactly explain that I was a savant and had rejected my soulfinder now, could I?

"Lex…" She was using her teacher's voice on me. I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, fidgeting with the hem of my jacket. "Okay, fine. I won't push you on it anymore, but there is definitely something that you're not telling me, and I will find out what it is." I looked up meekly, to see her smirking at me smugly. She always knew when something was up, no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

"Right, come on, drink up- I need to pop into Ann Summers quickly."

"What? Why?" I asked. Lingerie stores were not something either of us tended to visit.

"It's Dan's birthday on Wednesday- enough said. Now come on, Lex!"

"Rach, I don't want to know!" I exclaimed, downing the rest of my drink.

"Hey, maybe you can buy something for your boyfriend."

"He is not my boyfriend!" Shit. Now I'd let the cat out of the bag. I really didn't want to talk about Will today, or any day come to that. And he definitely wasn't, nor would he ever be my boyfriend- soulfinder or not!

"I knew it!" She yelled exultantly, making me and the other customers, jump. "Come on." She said, grabbing my arm, and hauling me out of the café.

"I'm definitely making you buy something, now I know that there's someone who'll appreciate it." Christ, was I friends with anyone normal?

XXX

"I don't know Rach." I said, as I stood in the entrance of Ann Summers. "I think I better go, Monty will be getting anxious by now."

"Alexis Anderson, will you stop being such a baby, and get in here!"

"Fine, I'm coming!" I replied, as I followed her into the shop. If I didn't come in of my own accord then I was sure she'd drag me in, and I didn't want to cause any more of a scene.

Satisfied that I'd entered, Rach began to peruse their merchandise, whilst I pretended to find a rack of their modest bras highly interesting. There was no way Rach was forcing me to buy anything in this store- the prices alone made me want to faint, let alone the skimpiness of the lingerie!

"Do you need any help, dear?" A voice asked, and I leapt back, startled, to see the 50 year old sales assistant leering at me.

"No thanks" I yelped, and dashed off to find Rach.

Rach, it seemed, had decided to buy the whole store. Well, judging by the amount of bras and pants she had hanging from her arms, that was the only logical explanation. See, money wasn't an issue for Rach- she was a millionaire many times over thanks the trust fund set up by her parents. Yet, she kept it quiet, instead preferring to work, and live off her own wages. It was only when it came to shopping that her limitless credit card came out, and boy did it take a beating. Mind, I was sure Dan would appreciate her spending- the lacy scraps of material would barely cover anything!

"Have you not found anything, Lex?" She asked when I found her, frowning at the lack of garments in my hands. "Come on, Lex, surely there must be something here he'd like?" I scowled in response, and she giggled.

"Rach, I do not have a boyfriend, so I'm not buying anything in here. Besides, it's ridiculously overpriced."

"Whatever you say, Lexi" she sang to herself, cackling away at my expense. "Well, I'm done now, so if you want we can head off- I bet you want to check on Mont, don't you?" She asked, as she headed towards the tills. Well, that was remarkably easy, I thought to myself. Usually Rach would make me buy at least one item, and she seemed even more insistent than usual that I buy something today. Leaving her to pay I waited by the door, far, far away from the overly helpful shop assistant. I did not need any help purchasing underwear, thank you very much! Rach joined me a few seconds later and handed me a bag of her purchases.

"Why are you giving me this?" I asked- it was only a little bag, that could have easily fitted inside the larger bag she was carrying.

"Well you didn't think it was all for me, did you?" She asked as we headed out of the shop towards the car park.

"Please don't tell me you-" she giggled to herself, confirming my suspicions.

"Hey, at least your boyfriend will appreciate them, even if you don't! And, don't even think of taking them back- I've got the receipt, so you can't!"

"Rach!" I said blushing, whilst she laughed at me. "I will get you back for this, you know!"

"Oh, I know you will, Lex, but I'm just basking in my victory for the time being." She said as she clambered into her car. "See you at netball training on Wenesday, yeah?"

"Yeah." I confirmed. "And thanks for these…" I finished awkwardly, holding up the bag to show her. I felt bad that she'd probably spent an extortionate amount of money on lingerie that would spend the rest of its life at the very back of my bottom drawer.

"You're welcome! Make sure you wear them for him!" Smirking, she drove off home, and I clambered into my own car. I swear the girl was positively barmy.

XXX

Parking my car outside my flat, I headed into the complex, shopping bag in hand. I was half tempted to throw it in the dumpster on the way in, but even I couldn't throw away brand new underwear, even if I had no intention of wearing any of the items. I'd only been gone for a couple of hours, so I was confident that Monty wouldn't have destroyed the flat in my absence. Still, I could never be too sure. Turning the corner of the landing I saw him- the person I thought I'd never see again.

"Will?" He turned, and launched himself at me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, and heaving a great sigh of relief.

"Alexis! God, I was so worried when you wouldn't answer- I thought something had happened to you!" He mumbled into my hair. I patted him on the back awkwardly, confused by his sudden personality transplant.

"Erm, Will, I'm sorry- but what exactly is going on? What are you doing here?" He released me reluctantly, sensing my discomfort at our embrace.

"I'm here to apologise." Okay, now I was confused. He'd made his feelings towards me very clear the last time we'd spoken. Who was this guy, and what had he done with my soulfinder? I took a step away from him.

"No, really: what are you doing here?"

"To apologise, like I said. Sam got in contact with the Net last night to tell them what had happened, and they contacted me, and I came straight from the airport."

Sam: that sneaky, interfering bastard! How dare he poke his nose in my business? He was supposed to be as against this soulfinder malarkey as I was! Bloody Elinor had had a greater effect on him than he'd thought!

"Right. Well, you've done that. You can leave now." He didn't move. I grasped my keys tightly in my hand, and moved towards the door.

"Wait, here: I bought you these" he rifled through his bag, and produced a bouquet of lilies. I took them gingerly, jumping slightly when our hands touched. I was extremely attracted to the man, whether I liked it or not. And, just to clarify, I definitely did not.

"Thank you, Will. They're beautiful, but you shouldn't have…" he beamed a mega-watt smile, only dampened by my insistence that he need not have bothered.

"No, I wanted to. Alexis I-" we were interrupted by a growling on the other side of the door.

"Sorry, it's my dog. I've got to let him out before he starts head butting the door." I said, fumbling for my keys. Now, that had been another trip to Jack and Van's. A heavily concussed Monty had not been what I wanted to come home to that Thursday evening. Opening the door, I was met by a small ball of golden fur hurtling towards me.

"Monty!" I screamed, but it was too late. My kamikaze puppy had committed himself, and couldn't stop. Hurtling into me he knocked my bags, my flowers, and me to the floor.

"Monty" I groaned from the floor, but he was far too busy growling at Will to pay any attention.

"Monty, get here, now." I growled, grabbing him by his collar before he started biting Will's trousers. He may have looked cute, but this puppy could sure cause mayhem.

"Sorry about that." I said, turning to look at him once Monty had been contained. Will was smirking at me, a thong dangling from his pinky finger, and the rest of my lingerie at his feet.

"You been shopping for me babe?" He asked with a coy grin and a lewd wink.

Horrified, I leapt to my feet with Monty cradled in my arms.

"Give that back!" I yelled, reaching for it, but he moved out of my way you.

"Babe, you didn't have to, not that I'm not incredibly grateful. Want to model them for me?" He let the sentence hang in the air, and I growled in frustration.

"Give it back!" I growled. Monty leapt from my arms back into the flat, so I was left to confront him.

"You know, Alexis, I don't think I will. I've become rather attached to these."

"They're for Sam, not you." I lied, relying on his anger to surface, and make him leave in a strop once more. His eyes clouded over for a second, before approaching me. I moved backwards as he advanced.

"I don't think so, Alexis." He smirked, advancing as I retreated further into the corner.

"I'm not lying."

"Yes you are. I can tell." He tapped his head as if to prove his point. Of course he could- he was my soulfinder after all. "Besides, I've spoken to Sam. He's a nice guy, with a nice soulfinder called Elinor, not Alexis." My back hit the wall, I now had nowhere to escape him. I was trapped. His arms moved to make a protective cage around me- his lips millimetres from mine.

"Now, Alexis." He whispered in my ear.

"Yes" I squeaked, trying, and subsequently failing to be completely unaffected by his presence.

"You can have your underwear back if you promise to give me, give us, another chance."

"No." I replied, shaking my head forcefully. I'd made my decision- there was nothing he could do, or say to make me change my mind. He cocked his head to the side in response.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He asked, his lips moving impossibly closer to mine. Our chests were pressed together, not a millimetre between us. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't deny that his presence didn't affect me.

"N-n-no" I managed to stutter.

"That's a pity." I gulped. Christ, he was gorgeous.

"Oh?"

"Because then I wouldn't be able to do this." And then he kissed me. And damn, it was good. It was a bruising, possessive kiss- branding me as his, and his alone- whether I liked it or not. My arms subconsciously wrapped themselves around his neck, as I lost myself in him. He drew me closer in return, lifting me against the wall so that my legs were wrapped around his waist. He pulled back a minute later, leaving me flustered and breathless. The tables had most definitely turned since our last kiss.

"You still insisting there's nothing between us?" He asked arrogantly, letting me slide back down his body until my feet touched the floor once more. I rolled my eyes at him, and he laughed. I was stubborn. I wasn't accepting him as my soulfinder just because he was an amazing kisser.

"Anyway babe, I've got to go back to the States for a few days. I've just got some stuff to sort out for work, but I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" I nodded, still incapable of speech. Smiling, he pressed another, quick kiss to my lips.

"I've got to go, my flight leaves in a couple of hours. Stay safe okay?"

I nodded helplessly, and he pressed another kiss to the top of my head, before squeezing me tight and letting me go, walking off down the hallway without a care in the world, whilst I was left shell-shocked, surrounded by fallen lingerie. I pressed my fingers to my lips. What the hell had just happened? Why on earth did I let him do that? But, most importantly, why on earth did it feel so right?

My phone rang then, interrupting my reverie. It was an unknown number, but I picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey Alexis, missing me already?"

"Will? How did you get my number?"

"Let's just say there are benefits of having your family run the convention." The sneaky git had only gone and looked up my phone number from the information I'd given the Net! Surely, that was a breach of my privacy?! Not that he'd have any qualms about breaking that rule.

"Anyway, I was just ringing to tell you that I'm keeping the underwear. I'll give them back to you when I get back, and you agree to give us being soulfinders a shot. Okay?" He was the most infuriating person I'd ever encountered.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just buy another pair." He wasn't getting one over on me this time. No way.

"C'mon babe, stop lying to me. We both know you won't. So you'll just have to give us a shot, okay?" I sighed loudly down the phone. He was the most irritating person I'd ever had the misfortune of meeting.

"I'm not agreeing to anything, Will. You know where I stand with this."

"Well, I'll just have to try harder, then. You ain't seen nothing, Princess. See you soon." And with that he hung up. Why did he have to be so bloody charming? I began to pick up the lingerie which was still scattered all over the hallway. Why was my life so complicated?


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys are just amazeballs! 176 reviews! That's insane! When I first started this story last summer, I honestly thought I wouldn't get any, so this is just mad! Thanks to each and every one of you- I'm so incredibly grateful to you all! This chapter is for you guys!**

Chapter 17:

The lingerie that Rach had bought me was now stuffed at the very back of my bottom drawer, where I very much hoped it would never see the light of day. Walking back into the lounge I noticed that Monty had found a g-string that I hadn't managed to pick up, and was now using it as a chew toy. Sighing, I left him to it, and put the lilies in a vase. They were really beautiful, and I loved them- I couldn't bring myself to throw them out, or let them wither and die. I just hated that I was reminded of him every time I looked at them. That was probably his idea behind them, mind. I wasn't used to men being so charming.

It was now about two in the afternoon, and I decided I might as well watch a crappy movie whilst finishing off some more marking. I liked to get it done as soon as the holidays began. That way, I could have the rest of the time to myself. I was especially fancying a shopping trip later in the week, which I'm sure Rach would be happy to join me on, even if she did spend the entire trip interrogating me about my non-boyfriend, boyfriend. I mean, I'd all but confirmed her suspicions today. There was a pair of jeans I'd had my eye on for a while- I'd seen them again in a shop in Paris, but I refused to let Alice buy them for me. She may have been a millionaire, but I liked to buy my own things, even if it did mean that my bank account took a massive hit, and I was skint for the next month. But still, the next time we went shopping, I was definitely buying them!

Grabbing the stack of books I settled on the sofa, letting an old Agatha Christie episode play in the background, whilst I worked. An hour in, and I grabbed my phone to see if I'd got any messages. It was a pleasant distraction from tedious spelling corrections. There were only a few: one from Rach asking about my boyfriend, which I tactfully didn't respond to- instead sending a winking emoji back to her instead, and another message from my service provider. I dropped Sam a quick text too, well it was more of a warning than a text, asking him why on earth he'd rung the Net about Will, and then to ask him how he was getting on with his girlfriend, if she still was his girlfriend at this point. He was in deep trouble the next time I saw him. Well, unless things had gone horribly wrong with Elinor, in which case, I'd be really understanding.. and then I'd yell at him. Hitting send, I put it down, and picked up where I'd left off, when my phone rang. It was Alice.

"Hey"

"Hey, Lex. How's Will? Those flowers were gorgeous, weren't they? He's such a sweetie!" One of the most annoying things about having a sister able to see the future, was the fact that you couldn't hide anything from her. Absolutely anything. And she didn't even think to warn me that he was going to show up?

"Alice!" I whined.

"What? They were? C'mon, Lex, I know you love them."

"Yeah, okay, they're really pretty, but he shouldn't have."

"He's already to starting to win you over!" She squealed happily. No, he wasn't. Definitely not. I was definitely not attracted to Will Benedict. No way!

"Nothing is going to happen, Alice. He knows that. He was just being nice, and apologising for jumping to conclusions- that's all."

"Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that. Alexis and Will sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G-"

"Oh my God, Alice!" I interrupted her. "You are such a child! We are not together, nor will we ever be!" She cackled in response.

"First comes love, second comes marriage…" She continued, and I huffed at her down the line. A younger sibling's only role was to annoy their older siblings, I swear. Well, that was the relationship I had with my older brother, Jack, anyway.

"Alice, what are you ringing me for?"

"To tell you to stop paying me rent! It's ridiculous, Lex, come on! I don't need the money!" Oh, it was this argument again. When Alice had won the lottery she'd bought me the flat for my 22nd birthday. I'd just graduated from university in Sheffield, and had decided to move back home to complete my teacher training programme, but hadn't wanted to move back in with my parents. I was going to rent a flat, but the prices were extortionate, and before I'd signed for one Alice stepped in, without me realising, and purchased a beautiful new flat for me right in the centre of town. Although I was incredibly grateful, I still didn't like taking hand-outs from Alice, so I insisted on paying her rent, even though it frustrated her. I was determined to pay back the astronomic price she'd paid for it, even though it would probably take a quarter of my wages for the next twenty years to do so.

"Alice, I need to- I can't stay here for free!" Monty started barking at the door then, his signal that someone was outside. "Hang on, Alice I've got to go- someone's at the door."

"No worries, I'll call you later. And Lex.."

"Yeah?"

"I'm transferring the rent back to your account, and if you even try to sneakily pay me back I'm ringing Mum and Dad and telling them about Will. And you better tell them soon, or I'm telling them for you! Love you, sis. Bye!" And with that she hung up. Damn it! The girl knew exactly how to press my buttons! There was no way I was risking paying her back when she threatened to tell Mum. I'd just have to save up the rent I would have given her, and buy her a really expensive birthday present instead. That way we both got what we wanted.

Walking to the door, I had a look through the peephole- I'd had far too many unexpected visitors as of late, and this time I wasn't taking any chances. Oh God, this visitor was even worse than Will in some respects. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I took a deep breath and braced myself for what was about to happen, and then I opened the door.

"Alexis!" My mother cried, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. Blimey- it was like she'd not seen me for a year, not a week!

"Hi Mum" I smiled, hugging her back, even though she was a full head and a half smaller than me. She released me moments later.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" I asked, moving towards the kitchen, regardless of her response. I knew the answer would be yes, so I didn't really know why I even bothered to ask any more.

"Yes please, Alexis. That would be wonderful." She followed me into the kitchen, where she proceeded to take off her coat and hang it on the back of the chair whilst I busied myself making a pot of tea.

"So.." I started, hoping she'd finish the sentence and explain why she was here, whilst I put the kettle on to boil.

"I just wanted to come to see how you were." Oh God. Now I was going to have to act like I was upset that I hadn't found my soulfinder. I was a terrible actress, so this wasn't going to end well.

"I'm fine Mum." I answered. "Honestly, I'm fine." She shot me that sympathetic look that just made me want to barf. I carried the teas over to the kitchen table, and took a seat.

"Now Alexis, there's no harm in admitting you're upset." Oh God, she was going to make a speech. Kill me now. "It's only natural, but honestly, it's not the end of the world. You will find him, Alexis, I can feel it in my bones. You were just unfortunate this time-he must have been ill, like you were last year…" I zoned out at this point. I couldn't stomach listening to my mother's heartfelt spiel, when I was lying to her about what had really happened. She'd be happier that I'd found my soulfinder, than I ever would be. So, instead I just sipped my tea, and nodded at what seemed like the appropriate time. She twittered on for another hour, before realising that 'Downton' was on soon, and decided to head home- she had her priorities sorted, my mother.

I let her out soon after, with the promise to come and visit her and Dad soon, and to bring Monty along with me. I honestly thought that they loved Monty more than me at times. Tipping my lukewarm brew down the drain and dropping both cups in the dishwasher I flicked off the lights and headed to my room. Today had been emotionally exhausting, and I was desperate for a good night's sleep and a lie- in. Changing quickly, I climbed under the covers and shut my eyes. I heard my phone buzz on my bedside table as I did so, and I grabbed it to see what it was.

'Sweet dreams, sweetheart x' was all it said. I knew immediately who it was from, even though I still hadn't saved his number into my phone yet. I didn't reply, simply turning it over, and shutting my eyes once more, but I couldn't help that warm, fuzzy feeling growing in my chest. Fighting this feeling was getting harder, no matter how hard I tried to deny it. What was I going to do?

**So, what do you think? Please leave a review! It'll make me update faster, I promise! C'mon guys, don't you want to know what happens on April 20****th****? Hehe! x**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey guys, I've decided to continue with my story as I just want to finish it now. I started this a year ago as something to do over the summer, and I am honestly overwhelmed by the amount of support I've received about it. I'm aiming to finish the whole story by September, and am aiming to upload four chapters every month (so weekly, apart from i know that i won't have internet access at some points during this period, so I'll be uploading early to keep on schedule.) So, yeah, I'll be chuffed if I can say I've managed to write a story in a year!**

**Thanks you to all who have reviewed and supported me. I wouldn't write if it weren't for you- so let's finally finish this! Woohoo!**

I woke late on Monday, which made for a pleasant change from the past few days. Well, I say late, yet late meant that I was up by nine, and had taken Monty on one of his daily walks soon after. A hyperactive puppy meant that it was nigh on impossible to spend the morning in bed, something the breeder had neglected to tell me when purchasing him, although it was hardly surprising- he was a labrador.

Monday also brought news from Sam in the form of a text. He said he'd catch up with me properly when he got back, as he was now en-route to Edinburgh to find Elinor, and there was too much to explain over text. He did say, however, that he and Catherine were most definitely over, and that he was hoping Elinor would give them another shot, adding that I should do the same with Will. He was completely unapologetic about his actions that led to Will finding me again, and asked when our wedding was going to be. Replying, I assured him that there never was going to be a wedding between Will and I, and wished him the best in his quest to find Elinor. He was a great guy, and I was sure she'd fall head over heels in love with him as soon as she got to know him, and I told him so, asking me to keep him updated with his progress. He promised he would.

The weather had returned to its usual, dreary state- a far cry from the hot Parisian sun I'd been experiencing a few days earlier. Completing our usual circuit, we headed back to the flat, only stopping to pop into the little Tesco on the high street to buy some fruit. Strawberries were beginning to come into season, and they, smothered in Nutella were my guilty pleasure.

Arriving back at the flat, I fed Monty, and made myself some toast. Today, I'd decided, was to be a day full of errands. I always had hundreds of things that needed doing, but only when school stopped did I finally get round to doing them. First I needed to go food shopping, then I had to collect some more craft supplies for school and go to the post office to return an ASOS order that didn't fit, before heading off to get my hair cut in the afternoon. It was a busy morning, but I was back home by 12.30 to grab Monty and put my shopping away before my haircut.

I hated the hairdressers. Monty, on the other hand, absolutely loved it. He was pampered- ridiculously so. My hairdresser had an obsession with Labradors, and after first hearing about my new pet from then on insisted he come with me to all of my appointments, despite the fact that I was pretty sure dogs weren't allowed in salons. Thankfully, Monty always behaved himself of such trips; wagging his tail, and shooting the hairdressers doleful looks from his spot by my feet. Not once did the hound from hell that woke me up at silly o'clock every morning make an appearance. It figured. I left the shop an hour later, complete with tamed, poker straight hair a couple of inches shorter than it had been, and a very sleepy puppy. All in all, it hadn't been too painful a procedure, only mildly unpleasant, which was a relief. My idea of an afternoon well spent did not comprise of listening to my hairdresser's inane babbling about her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend, whilst having my hair yanked in every direction. Still, it was over now, and I was glad to be on my way home at last. I was looking forward to a cosy, boy-free night in with a glass of wine, and a cheesy sitcom on the telly.

Walking back from the hairdressers didn't take us long, as it was only a twenty minute walk from the flat, giving Monty plenty of time to do his business before his tea. Still, he always insisted on doing it in the most inconvenient of places; I swear he knew what he was doing, and just wanted to watch me squirm when having to pick up his droppings from someone's front lawn. He was the devil incarnate at such times, I'm sure.

Arriving home half an hour later, I was fishing out my keys to let us in when I heard someone shouting from behind me.

"Excuse me, Miss" I turned, and saw a red-faced delivery boy jogging towards me with a brown cardboard box tucked under his arm.

"Do you live here, Miss?" He asked, motioning to the door as he caught up with me. I nodded.

"A Miss Alexis Anderson, is that right?" He questioned, glancing down at the label on the parcel.

"Yes, that's me." I replied.

"Right. If you could sign here then please, Miss. Then the parcel's all yours." He pulled out a touch-screen delivery recording device, and indicated to the spot where I was to sign.

"I'm sorry, but I think you must have the wrong address- I haven't ordered anything."

"Nah, love, I think it's definitely for you. Look: this is you, isn't it?" He pointed to the label to prove his point.

"Yes…" I replied, but I was perplexed.

"Right, if you could just sign here for me, Miss." He thrust his hand-held machine at me, and I signed accordingly- he didn't seem like one to take no for an answer, somewhat like a certain American I knew...

"Thanks." He said once I'd finished, passing me over the parcel and taking back his machine. "Have a nice day, Miss."

"Thanks. You too" I echoed absently, watching him walk back down the corridor. I looked down at the package he'd handed to me, scanning over the label once more. He was right, it was definitely addressed to me, but who had sent it? Alice was the only person to send me things as a surprise, but such parcels were rare, and she nearly always told me advance. Besides, it couldn't be her- there was no French stamp on the packaging. Even more confused, I opened up the flat and made my way to the kitchen- intent on opening it as soon as possible, to solve the mystery. There were no discernible markings on the packaging, so I really had no idea what was inside. Monty scurried after me, as if sensing my intrigue. Dropping the parcel on the table, I grabbed a pair of scissors, and began to hack my way into the box. As soon as I broke the seal I was met by lingerie. Lots and lots of very expensive, very beautiful, Victoria's Secret lingerie. Tucked in amongst the bras and pants was a typewritten note:

'In exchange for the one I took yesterday x'

Well that cleared the mystery right up. There was only one person, one very infuriating person, who could have sent me this, and I knew exactly who. If this was his way of trying to win me round, then it most definitely was not working, and it never would. Grabbing my phone from my handbag I angrily punched in his number. He wasn't getting away with this. He answered after a few rings.

"Hello?" came the dazed voice from the other end.

"Just what were you thinking?" I spat out through gritted teeth, offering no other explanation.

"What?" He yawned. Bloody hell, he was slow to catch on.

"The parcel, Will!"

"Babe, it's 9am here- I only got back home a couple of hours ago, you're gonna have to explain." Oops. I'd completely forgotten about the time delay, and the fact that he'd spent most of yesterday and the early hours of today getting back home.

"Why did you send me a parcel full of lingerie?"

"Oh, that parcel! Did you like it?"

"No." There was an awkward pause on the other end of the line.

"Not even a little bit?" I sighed, he wasn't getting the message. It wasn't that I didn't like his gift; on the contrary- the underwear was stuff that I'd actually be able to wear, unlike the knickers made of dental floss that Rach had purchased for me yesterday. No, it wasn't that they were bad, it was that I felt uncomfortable with him buying me gifts when we were nothing more than casual acquaintances. I didn't want to give him false hope. We weren't going to be anything more than friends.

"You sure about that? I know all about your penchant for lingerie. Would you mind modelling them for me?"

"You are incorrigible!" I gasped at his audacity, ignoring the warm fluttery feeling in my stomach when I heard him laugh down the line in response.

"Guilty as charged m'am."

"I'm giving them back to you as soon as I see you." I warned.

"But I won't accept them- they're not really my thing, or my size."

"I'll post them then."

"You don't know where I live, babe." He countered. I growled in frustration, and he laughed harder.

"I will find out where you live."

"You're gone stalk me, are you, Alexis?"

"No, I'm going to ring the Net."

"They won't give out personal information, it's against the rules."

"Then how did you get my address?" I countered.

"I think you know the answer to that." Of course I did. I'd forgotten his family were in charge of the whole event, and that he could use that to his advantage.

"Okay, fine, you got me. Well… Well, I'll send them to the Net's headquarters. You'll just have to collect it from there." I huffed.

"Alexis, don't you think sending lingerie to the savant Net is kind of weird? Besides, my Mum and Dad have to open all the parcels sent to the Net, to check they're not dangerous- we've had some nasty stuff sent before, and it's only Dad's gift that's stopped people getting hurt. Look, Lex, I know you have a thing for my mother- you made that very clear at the convention, but don't you think sending her second-hand lingerie is a bit strange, not to mention a bit forward. I don't think my Dad would take too kindly to it either. And, if I sent you the lingerie, and you send it to my Mother, it's like I'm sending my own Mum lingerie in a round-about way, which makes it really odd. So, maybe you should just keep them. I think that's the best for everyone" I groaned. He'd got me there- I'd all but forgotten how I'd previously embarrassed myself by pretending to fancy her.

"Okay, fine, Will. You win. I won't send them to you, but I will give them back to you the next time I see you, okay?"

"So, when are you next coming to see me, then? It's okay, Alexis, you can come and see me anytime you want- you don't have to use underwear as an excuse.. although you could wear it to come and see me." He added as an afterthought.

"You are infuriating, Will!" I exclaimed. He laughed down the line, knowing he'd managed to get one over on me again. How did he always manage to do that?

"That's why you love me!" He added cheekily, and I let out a strangled snort in response. Love was definitely an emotion I felt for Will Benedict. "Right, now that we've sorted this out I'm going to go back to bed."

"Okay. Sorry for waking you up."

"You can ring me whenever, Lex. Seriously- whenever. Talk to you later babe."

"Sweet dreams."

"They will be if you're in them- especially if you're wearing my gifts." He laughed to himself, and I couldn't think up a response. He was a dirty-minded little sod, that was for sure! "Speak soon, babe." And with that he hung up the phone, leaving me, once again, under his spell. Just how did he do it? How did he manage to effortlessly manipulate every single conversation we had?

Picking up a pair of the pants I fingered the silky lace trim. They were really beautiful, and I didn't really want to give them back, but it was a matter of principle. I didn't like accepting such lavish gifts, especially when we weren't, nor would we ever be, anything more than friends. Sighing, I dropped the pants back into the box, and took the box to my room, where I stuffed it at the very back of my wardrobe. I did not need my nosy mother discovering it, and its contents before I'd had chance to give them back.

Sighing, I headed to the door to collect my post, before going to the kitchen to make myself some tea, and feed Monty his. I wasn't all that hungry, and I couldn't be bothered to cook, so beans on toast would have to suffice. Grabbing the post from the doormat I wandered back to the kitchen to get Monty his dinner- a can of beef and gravy dog food. Well, it certainly sounded more appealing than my meal of beans on toast!

"Monty!" I shouted, once I'd put out his dinner, and re-filled his water bowl. Sure enough, a ball of golden fur came whizzing through the kitchen door soon after. Laughing, I sat down to sort through my post. Undoubtedly, it would all be bills- it always was. Sure enough, I had a bill from Severn Trent and British Gas. My pay-check did not stretch quite as far as I would have liked it to. Picking up the last one, I turned to see Monty growling at me. It was strange, he was never usually aggressive.

"What's up, boy" I asked, concerned. He continued to growl.

"What is it?" I repeated- his behaviour was so out of character, and even stranger, considering he was completely fine a few seconds ago. Dropping the last letter onto the table I reached down to pick him up, hoping it would sooth him. Stroking him softly I murmured in his ear in an attempt to calm him, but he was having none of it- squirming in my lap in a desperate bid to get away. Suddenly, he managed to snatch my unopened letter in his jaw, leap from the table, run off with it!

"Monty- that's mine!" I yelled, chasing after the thieving puppy. I didn't understand why he was so concerned by the letter. Cornering him by the sofa I wrestled it out of his jaw, but he didn't give up easily. Unfortunately, it was now covered in dog slobber, and toothmarks. Standing, I opened it, ignoring Monty who was now growling with his hackles raised at my feet. Inside the envelope were photographs. Photographs of me at the convention; me sat during the video with Sam, me walking to the 'matching room', and me sat at my table during matching. I wasn't looking at the camera during any of the photos, and I hadn't remembered having my photograph taken. This was creepy. Shuffling through the photographs once more, I saw that someone had written on the back.

'You're mine. We will be together, my love.'

The photographs dropped from my hand. This was unnerving. Monty pounced on the falling polaroids, promptly shredding them before my eyes, and I was glad. Why had Will sent those? I mean the underwear was fine in comparison- nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek gesture, but the photographs? They were creepy, really, really creepy. How had he known I was his soulfinder before we'd even been properly introduced? Picking up the remains from Monty, I slotted them back into the envelope and went to tuck them in my letter stack on the kitchen window sill. I would confront Will about them later- I didn't want to ring him, and interrupt his sleep again. Shaking it off, I tried to make my tea and forget about it. Monty had since returned to his usual, smiley self, and was now happily yipping around the flat, as if his angry strop at the letter had never happened. But I couldn't stop thinking about the caption- it haunted my dreams that night. Just why would Will do such a thing?


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you to: 'JustAnotherFangirlingBookworm', 'sevenofdiamonds7', 'KittyKatPeanutButter', 'SweetCang', 'Ellabooo17' and my anonymous reviewers for reviewing my last chapter! You guys are awesome- and are why this chapter's up now!**

**Oh, and a reviewer asked if there was going to be a lemon. To answer that i'd say that I don't think that here will be a lemon in this story as i want to keep it at a 'T' rating, but I could do an outtake as a oneshot 'M' once i'd finised the story if people would like that? Do let me know!**

**Please let me know what you guys think! I hope you enjoy! :D**

The gifts continued for the rest of the week, but thankfully there were no more letters. On Tuesday there was a Pandora bracelet on my doorstep. I texted Will, but he, again, refused to let me give it back to him, insisting that I could only return it if I came to see him in person, and even then suggested that I'd have to keep it anyway.

I also got a brief text from Sam. He'd managed to track Elinor down, and, after her shutting her door in his face, had finally managed to sit and chat things over with her. It seemed to me like things were playing out well between the two of them, but he remained coy in his message, saying that he was staying in Edinburgh permanently until the time being- using all of his vacation days to do so.

Wednesday brought a bottle of perfume, and a basket full of luxurious toiletries. It was a very expensive Marc Jacobs bottle I might add, and a monster sized gift basket from Lush. I hoped he wasn't suggesting that I smelt, and I texted him to say as much! It joined the growing pile of gifts at the back of my wardrobe. If my Mum ever discovered this rapidly growing stash then I wasn't exactly sure how I'd manage to convince her that I really didn't have a sugar Daddy. I texted Will to ask him to please stop sending me things, but he didn't reply.

Wednesday also meant netball training, and a chance to get rid of some of my energy. Monty joined me on such sessions, as we played on an outdoor court, and the juniors loved to pet him, not to mention the fact that some of the adults were especially partial to a cuddle when they weren't playing. He had a way of squirming his was into everybody's heart. Setting off at half five with Monty in tow, I drove to collect Rach, before heading on to training. It was easier when we car-pooled, and it gave us a chance to have a quick catch-up. Pulling up outside her house, I gave my horn a quick honk and waited for her to come out. Monty, who was sleeping on the passenger's seat, woke up quickly at that.

"Sorry, boy." I whispered, ruffling his fur. Rach ran out of the house in her kit a couple of seconds later, sliding into the passenger seat, and letting Monty settle on her lap.

"So, how's your boyfriend then? Did he like the present I got him?" She asked as she fastened her seatbelt. I growled in frustration- she never gave up, did she?

"Rach, I told you- I don't have a boyfriend!" I exclaimed, as I pulled away from the kerb.

"Liar, liar pants on fire Alexis Jayne Anderson!"

"Rach, if I had a boyfriend, I would tell you. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah, Lex. Look, we both know you've got something going on." I opened my mouth to categorically deny that statement, but she continued on regardless.

"Don't even attempt to deny it, Alexis! I know when you're lying, so you better spill it right now, or else!"

"Or else what?" I asked, pulling out at a T-junction.

"You really want to go there?" No, I probably didn't. Rach was able to get any secret out of anyone- if she wasn't a teacher, she would have made an expert MI5 interrogator.

"Yes.." I squeaked, not knowing what I was letting myself in for.

"Alexis, do you remember a certain boy in our form at high school? A certain Jay Clarke? Jay Clarke. Does that name ring any bells yet?" I groaned; of course it did. Jay Clarke had been, well, there was no easy way to put it, but obsessed with me. He was a notorious oddball- rejected by everyone, apart from me and Rach because we were the only ones that were nice to him. Unfortunately, because of that, he developed a sort of 'thing' for me, which then spiralled out of control, despite the fact that I most definitely wasn't interested. He kept posting love notes in my locker, asking me out in the dinner queue, and even followed me home once.

"Yes, Rach" I groaned. "I still remember him; he keeps 'poking me on Facebook! I haven't seen the guy since we left school!"

"That's because he wants to poke you elsewhere!" She chortled to herself.

"Rach!" I screamed, taking my hand off the wheel and whacking her in the arm for that comment. "That was below the belt!"

"I know; that's why I said it!" She began making obscene thrusting gestures with her hips, much to Monty's confusion. The poor guy was still sat on her lap!

"Oh, Rach!" I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes, whilst trying to concentrate on the road. "Please stop- you're making my ribs hurt, and traumatising my puppy. God only knows how they let you become a teacher!"

"Hey, I take offence to that! Anyway, to continue with my threat.." She comically cleared her throat as though she was a news presenter about to make a serious announcement. I shook my head at her- she was mad, absolutely bonkers. "Jay is now a plumber- my Mum got his card as she needed some work doing. Anyway, if you don't tell me what's happening with you, then I'll have no choice but to give him your name and number and tell him.." She waggled her eyebrows for comic effect, before saucily continuing. "That your pipes need looking at, if you catch my drift.."

"Pipes, Rach? Seriously? Who makes an innuendo out of the word pipes! My pipes do not need looking at-"

"But his probably does. I bet your rejections have given him a big, hard pipe that's about ready to burst!"

"Ew! Rach! Stop right there! Fine, okay, you win- I'll tell you, as long as you never, ever, ever use that bloody 'pipe' analogy again, do you hear me? And, you promise me not to ever contact Jay Clarke! If he were the last plumber on the planet, I would not call him."

"What pipe analogy, Alexis? I was just saying that Jay was good with pipes!" She fluttered her eyelashes at me innocently, and I quirked my eyebrows at her. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"No you weren't, and we both know it."

"Whatever you say, Alexis. Honestly, you're so dirty minded sometimes!" I let out a snort at that- pot calling the kettle black, much? "So, what's going on, then?"

"Okay, well first off- don't have a boyfriend." She snorted at that. "I don't! I have a new friend that is a boy, that's all."

"Right, so where did you meet your non-boyfriend, boyfriend then? What's his name?"

"He's called Will. I met him at my great Uncle's funeral last week." I fibbed. Rach didn't know I was a savant. I mean, sure, I would have told her- I'd trust her with anything, but telling ordinary people was strictly forbidden. From a young age my parents had taught us not to reveal our abilities to anyone. For that reason, when I was going to Paris I'd given Rach the exact same excuse that I'd given to my school. It was easier that way- there were fewer lies to trip up on, and it explained why I wasn't able to make the netball match last Saturday.

"You met a guy at you great uncle's funeral? You horndog, Alexis! The guy wasn't even in the ground and you were getting it on? That'll be one to tell the kids- hooking up at a funeral! So, where's he from, how old is he, what's his surname, what does he look like, what does he do, when can I meet him?"

"Woah, woah, woah, Rach! It's like the bloody Spanish inquisition over here! Cripes! Right, his name's Will Benedict, he's my age, and he's from Colorado. That's all I know."

"Is he hot?"

"He's not bad." I hedged, my cheeks turning red at the thought. He was most definitely hot, and he damn well knew it!

"So he's hot then? You know, Lex, you should probably make sure you're not related, you know. I mean, your family are genetically blessed! I mean, your brother- Jesus he is such a looker!"

"Rach! We are not related, that I can assure you! I thought we'd got over your obsession with Jack." I exclaimed, exasperated. When Rach was thirteen she'd had a massive, extremely obvious crush on my older brother. It was a tough time- every time she came over for tea she'd ignore me, and spend the whole evening gawping at Jack, much to his amusement. Thankfully, she got over it pretty quickly, but she still liked to tease me about it.

"I am.. nearly." She winked. "But just think.. if I hadn't met Dan, and Jack hadn't met Savannah then I'd probably be your sister-in-law by now!" I rolled my eyes at her.

"So, when do I get to meet him?"

"Who?"

"Will, of course!" We'd now arrived at the netball courts, and I pulled in to the nearest space.

"Never, if I can help it!" I said with a laugh, taking my keys out of the ignition, and watching her dramatically pout in response.

"We'll see!" she promised, attaching Monty's lead and running out of the car towards the courts.

"Girls: Alexis has got a boyfriend!" She screamed as she went. I hear a collective "Ooooh" from the courts and groaned. I was now going to be interrogated by about thirty women. Great. This was set to be a very, very long session indeed.

Thankfully, the session wasn't as bad as I'd feared. As soon as they got a look at Rach's engagement ring they quickly switched their focus to her, letting me off scot-free. I arranged to go shopping with Rach the next day, despite the fact that she'd tried to embarrass me in front of the whole club- she knew how much I hated attention. She wanted to start looking for some wedding stuff. Not anything big yet, but just little things like table decorations and placemats, but we also wanted to properly go clothes shopping too. I arranged to meet her at the local shopping centre at ten, so we could make a day of it.

By Thursday night I'd managed to end up a hundred pounds poorer, but with a lot of clothes to show for it. Most of them I convinced myself were essential purchases, but it still didn't make me feel any better once I'd looked at my bank account. Waiting for me when I got home was another package- this time it was a Michael Kors handbag. It was gorgeous- a lovely tan shade, made out of supple leather that just slipped onto my shoulder perfectly. Still, it was completely unnecessary, and I rang Will to tell him as much, but he remained stubbornly adamant that it was now mine, and I couldn't possibly give it back. How did the boy happen to know what I liked so well? Seriously, his gift picking ability was uncanny- to the extent where I was convinced it was part of his savant gift.

XXX

Friday marked the start of the bank holiday weekend, and was another reminder of my single status: everyone else was out doing things, and I was sat at home on my own, with only my dog for company. Rach had called earlier to say that Dan had surprised her with a long weekend in Venice, Savannah and Jack were off to London for the weekend, and Mum and Dad were both on call at the hospital. They always volunteered to do shifts during the holidays as they said that they'd rather they do them, than some of the younger doctors with had kids, as they knew they would want to be spending the day making easter egg hunts for them. As if to add salt to the wound, a large basket of chocolate arrived later that morning. I didn't even bother texting him this time- he seemed to take no notice of my texts asking him to stop sending me things. Now I was going to be fat and single, rather than just single.

Saturday meant a break from my usual routine. Usually, every Saturday I had a netball match to look forward to, but this Saturday it was different. As it was bank holiday, there was no match, so I was left on my own once more. A couple of girls from my team had texted me earlier, inviting me out for a few drinks, and I'd happily accepted, knowing full well that in our team there was no such a thing as a 'few drinks'. I knew we'd all be bladdered by the end of the night- it was tradition, and was one of the reasons I didn't have Facebook. No parent wanted to see photographs of their child's teacher pissed on a Saturday night.

The door chimed at about eleven, and I sighed. The boy just never gave up, did he? My suspicions were confirmed when I opened the door and received yet another parcel from the delivery boy. Opening it up, I saw the jeans I'd been lusting over for months. They were Stella McCartney, and I'd fallen in love with them a couple of months ago after trying them on on a whim whilst shopping at a designer outlet mall with Mum. They were the most comfortable pair I'd ever worn, and made my bum look great, but at £250 a pop I had to put them back- they were extortionate. Who could justify spending that much money on an item of clothing? Mum had wanted to buy them for me, but I'd refused- it was far too much for a pair of jeans, and I didn't want my mother to have to be buying her grown daughter clothing. Lifting them out of the box I was shocked to see that there was more to the parcel- there were another two pairs in there! I now had three different coloured versions of the same pair; black, light blue, and a navy. This was ridiculous! He'd spent nearly £800 on jeans for me- and he didn't even know if I'd like them, or if they were the right size. He had to have had help on this- no man was able to guess a girl's dress size without help. But who could have helped him? Mum didn't even know he existed, and she hadn't told anyone about them, unless.. Of course! She'd probably told Alice about them, she always did. Alice liked to get everyone outlandish gifts for their birthday, and was always asking different members of the family what they thought other members of the family might like, before beginning to stockpile appropriate gifts, months before the event.

Grabbing my phone, I rang my meddling little sister, intent on finding out if she was responsible, although I was already pretty certain she was! She'd made her feelings about my reaction to my soulfinder pretty clear, and I definitely would not put it past her to help Will- she definitely had a soft spot for him! Besides, the rest of the gifts made more sense now- how come the lingerie was in my exact size? Was it just a coincidence that the handbag had been the exact one I'd pointed out to Alice in Paris, and that the toiletries were from my favourite shop? Alice had a lot to answer for if my hunch was correct! She picked up after a few rings.

"Hello"

"Hello, dear sister of mine. Just how are you today?" I asked in a saccharinely sweet tone.

"Alexis? Are you okay?" She asked from the other end of the line. Of course she'd sense something was off- I was never this nice to her.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you, Alice-"  
"Alexis, what's wrong?" She interrupted

"You know exactly what's wrong, Alice! Now, is there maybe something you'd like to confess to? Something you'd like to come clean about?" There was silence on the end of the line. "Or am I going to have to pry out of you how Will somehow knows my bra size, and exactly what type of toiletries I like?"

"About that…"

"I'm listening.."

"Look, he rang me begging for advice about what to get you- he didn't know what else to do."

"And you encouraged his gift buying? Not to mention, told him what to get me?"

"I didn't tell him- he asked for suggestions and I gave him a few. He was so sweet, Alexis. How could I have said no?"

"Easily." I deadpanned.

"Stop being so uptight, Alexis! We both know you liked him spoiling you really." I didn't respond to that.

"Alice, you know I don't like people giving me things- I'm not a charity case."

"He never said you were, did he? He was only trying to make you happy. Stop being so ungrateful, and give the boy a chance!"

"I'm not ungrateful. I just.. I just feel uncomfortable with it. He can't buy me."

"He's not trying to 'buy you', he's trying to get you to give him a fair chance, but you're being stubborn as per usual."

"I just can't, Alice. I just can't." She sighed at the other end, but didn't say any more. She knew she wouldn't be able to change my mind. "I still can't believe you gave him my bra size!" She laughed.

"Don't be so prissy, Lex. It's hardly classified information! Besides, I'm sure he'll be getting well acquainted with them at some point in the not so distant future." I doubted that very much. "Oh, and those jeans would look absolutely divine with that new top you bought on Thursday. They'd be perfect for when you go out tonight." It was really hard keeping anything from Alice- she knew absolutely everything.

"I'm not keeping them, Alice. They're far too much. I'm returning them the next time I see him."

"So you are seeing him again, then?" Of course that was the piece of information that she focussed on.

"Yes.. No.. Maybe. Oh, I don't even know anymore!" She laughed.

"That sounds awfully like a 'yes' to me, Alexis!" She replied smugly. "Now, I'm off to do some shopping, so I'll have to let you go. Don't forget- the jeans, and the new top. You'll look stunning. See you soon, Lex! Love you!"

"Love you too!" I echoed, hearing the click of the receiver as soon as I'd finished speaking. I looked longingly at the jeans on the table. Alice was wrong, I wasn't going to wear them tonight.

Unfortunately, Alice was proved right, as at six o'clock I left the house wearing the very outfit combination she'd predicted. Drat.

XXX

Sunday was a good day. A very good day. Do you know why? Because, to quote Harry Potter, there was no post on Sundays! Hallelujah! That meant that there would be no surprise presents for me to feel guilty about today! To celebrate, I decided to go on a walk in the Peaks with Monty. I was still feeling a little bit grotty from drinking way too much with the girls the night before, and it seemed like a good way to work off the hangover. I made myself a sandwich to eat while I was up there before packing a bag with everything else I'd need: waterproofs, water, a map, a compass, plasters, poo bags, and all other manner of walking equipment. Clipping Monty onto his lead I grabbed my phone and headed out to the car. The Peak District was right on my doorstep- a twenty minute drive was all it took for me to be in the mountains.

It was a rather miserable day- the sun was hidden way behind the clouds, which seemed to be threatening to rain at any moment. Still, it meant that I'd probably have the views all to myself- nobody bothered going up the mountains if the weather was bad. Parking at the foot of my favourite ridge I grabbed my rucksack, phone and Monty and began to walk.

I loved it out here- the views were just spectacular, and it gave me time to think, something that I valued. Monty loved it up here too, bounding along beside me, before tearing away across the moorland once I'd let him off his lead. Once we'd climbed to the peak we began skirting along the edge of the ridge- a well-worn path, usually frequented by hundreds of walkers, but not today. The rain had finally come, and the heavens had opened- most sensible people had decided to stay inside. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. Summoning Monty, I stopped for five minutes, sheltering with him under a rock whilst I pulled on my waterproofs. Waiting for the worst to pass, I took out my phone to check the time. The screen was black. That was odd; I always charged my phone every night. Shit- I hadn't last night, no wonder it was flat! I groaned- I'd completely forgotten to put it on charge when I'd got back from the pub with the girls, crawling into bed fully clothed, and promptly falling asleep. I was such an idiot. Stupid iPhones and their stupidly short battery life! Still, I'd walked these hills ever since I could remember- it wasn't like I was going to get lost. Besides, I'd never had need for a phone all the times I'd been up here in the past. I'd be fine. Petting Monty, I ate my sandwich in peace whilst I waited for the rain to subside. I guessed it must be around about three in the afternoon by now- we'd been up here for hours, as we'd set off quite late and the sky was gradually beginning to darken. Polishing off my sandwich I clipped Monty back onto his lead, and began to make my way back to the car, despite the rain- it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

The rain was heavy, a soaking rain that you felt in your bones. I couldn't wait for a hot shower. I always found it strange when people called rain 'wet rain'- I mean, what could rain possibly be, other than wet? Yet, this was definitely wet rain- I was beginning to shiver, despite my layers and waterproofs. Why hadn't I stayed in bed and watched films all day like any normal person?

We were now about an hour's walk away from the car, and the rain had only got heavier. Monty was tugging at the lead, and it was taking all of my strength to keep him back. Coming to a rocky section of the downhill, I needed both hands to navigate the tricky terrain. Using my left hand to grab onto the rocks, and my right to hold Monty's lead, I gingerly made my way down. It all happened so suddenly; my foot slipped slightly on the slick rock, my hands unconsciously readying themselves for the impending fall. And that was all Monty needed. Sensing I no longer had a grasp on his lead he shot off towards some sheep that were sat grazing on a bank further down the footpath.

"Monty!" I yelled. "Monty, no!" I began to run after him, tearing down the hill. I couldn't even see him any more- the brow of the hill had cut off my view. "Monty!" I screamed. I could see the sheep running quickly down the mountain, and I ran on in that direction- Monty was probably the one chasing them. Thanking God I was fairly fit I followed him, stumbling down the craggy hillside and steep inclines. The straps of my rucksack were digging into my shoulders, and my lungs were burning. Why did I have to have a labrador that thought he was a sheepdog? The farmers weren't kind up here- they shot dogs that chased sheep, and that spurred me on over the uneven terrain.

Suddenly, I felt my foot give way beneath me, and I screamed, falling flat on my face in the mud. The pain in my ankle was familiar- I'd twisted it badly, I could tell. I tried to flex it, but it hurt too much to move. Looking back I could see that I'd stepped in a small hole, which had caused my ankle to give way. Now I was in a mess. My ankle throbbed, a pain that made my eyes water, and my body spasm in shock. It was a familiar injury- I'd done it many times at netball, but this one was bad. I knew I wouldn't be able to walk on it, but out here I didn't think I'd have much of a choice.

"Monty!" I screamed. "Monty!" my voice was lost in the howling wind and rain, but I continued in the hope that he would hear me and come running.

Dragging myself up into a seated position I tried to assess the damage. The design of my walking boot meant that the severity of my injury was reduced, but it was still bad. The rain showed no signs of relenting and my teeth were starting to chatter; the cold was setting in. God, why the hell hadn't I charged my phone? I couldn't mind link anyone either- everyone was away for the weekend, and my powers weren't that strong. My only hope was that Alice could 'see' what was happening to me and send help. Yet, if she had 'seen' she would have definitely warned me yesterday. The temperature was dropping, and the light was starting to fade- I had to get down off this mountain, or I was as good as dead. Hypothermia didn't take long to set in- anyone who'd watched any survivalist program knew that. Forcing myself to stand I tried to take a step with my bad ankle, but it just buckled- the pain made me want to vomit. Blinking away the tears of pain and frustration I began to edge my way down on my bum. It was humiliating, but beat staying up hear to die.

Half an hour later, and my body was shivering uncontrollably. I'd managed to move little more than a few hundred metres down from where I'd fallen, but the pain was still too great for me to stand and walk. My palms were raw and bleeding as a result of my shuffling, and I couldn't feel my fingers. The sun was starting to set- I had no idea what time it was, but I'd almost resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to spend the night in the mountains, and pray that I woke up in the morning, or someone found me during the night. Unfortunately, neither of those seemed very probable. Just as I was losing hope I spotted someone walking towards me. I wasn't sure if it was a figment of my imagination at first- like a mirage of some sort. I tried to shout, to catch their attention, but I couldn't force my lips to move and make a sound. As they drew closer, I could see them carrying something in their arms. I wiped the rain from my eyes, and waved them towards me, I could just make them out. It was Will, and he was carrying Monty! I don't know how he got here, or how he found me, but I was infinitely grateful. I was saved.

**So who wants a best friend like Rachel? And who wants to see what happens now Will's showed up?**

**I have written the next chapter (I got really into my writing- ha!) and I will upload it if I hit 120 reviews, I promise. So, if you want to see what happens next you know what to do! If not, I'll be putting it up at the weekend to keep up with my weekly upload schedule.**

**Repeat: 120 reviews, and I'll put up the next chapter early.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Woah, guys! I was not expecting to hit 220 reviews, let alone go over it! Sorry this is late to upload, but I went to bed really early last night as I was so tired, and only checked my account this morning. So, here is chapter 20! Apologies again, for not uploading until this morning! Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**Thanks to all that reviewed- you are why I've uploaded!**

Spotting me, he jogged towards me, dropping Monty onto the floor, but thankfully still keeping hold of his lead. We didn't want to repeat that mistake again.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Alexis?" He was a few metres away now. I tried to answer him, but I couldn't- my lips were chattering too much. "Do you know how worried I've been? I've called at your flat, I've rang your phone- I even knocked on your neighbour's door, but they didn't know." He was now right next to me.

"Why are you sat on the floor?" Then he noticed I was convulsing violently. "Jesus, Alexis! What happened? Are you okay?" I shook my head in answer, and he dropped to his knees beside me. "What's wrong, Lexie? Talk to me!" His eyes showed his concern, and he pressed his hands to my cheeks, framing my face. "God, you're freezing! Why are you sat here? Are you hurt?" I tried to speak.

"I..I…" I swallowed. I couldn't get the words out. He took off his coat and wrapped it around me. I shook my head to tell him not to, but he continued.

"Mind- link me if you can, Alexis. I need to know what's wrong." Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that? D'uh! God, he looked gorgeous in the rain- the droplets streaking down his face.

_I've twisted my ankle I think. Monty ran off chasing sheep, and I tripped and fell. I can't put any weight on it, and my phone's out of battery._

"Okay." He nodded. "Which one?" I indicated to my right ankle. He lifted it in his hand gently, inspecting it. "You can't walk on that. I'll carry you. How long have you been sat here? I mean, Jesus, your lip's going blue! Thank God I found you when I did- you need to be more careful! Who goes out into the mountains with a dead phone?!" He peeled off his coat, and wrapped it around me. Strapping my rucksack to his back he put one arm under my knees and another behind my back and stood up, cradling me to his chest. We began to walk down the hill, Monty trotting alongside us- his lead still wrapped around Will's wrist.

_Half an hour to an hour ish. I thought I was going to die._

"You're not going to die- I won't let you. Look, put your hands under my shirt- it'll warm them up." I did as he suggested, sliding my hands under his jumper, and pressing them against his abs. He shivered from the contact. "Jeez- you're colder than I thought!"

Sorry. I said, resting my chin against his shoulder, and turning my lips to his chest. The only benefit to the cold was that now I couldn't feel my ankle. He was so warm, and so strong- he'd be cold and soaked by the time we got down- he was only wearing a jumper now he'd given me my coat. I could feel myself starting to doze off in his arms- he was so comfortable.

"Alexis! Alexis, no- don't you dare fall asleep on me! Stay awake, baby, keep talking. Did you drive here, where's your car?"

_I'm in the car park at the bottom- the white fiat. It's about a twenty five minute walk from here down this path._

"Right, okay. Honestly, why on earth did you come out here on a day like today?"

_I wanted to come out here to think- I like it up here. I didn't realise I didn't have any phone battery until I was up here- I'm not normally this stupid. I'm sorry to have made you come up here. How did you find me?_

"Don't you dare apologise for making me come out here! I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't. I'd come and get you wherever you were, but we will have a chat about you being safer when you've recovered."

I nodded into his chest, still shivering; I was expecting as much. I was beginning to get some sense back into my fingers, but I couldn't feel my toes. My ankle pain had now come back with a vengeance, and a few tears escaped. He kissed them away.

"How did you think I found you Alexis?" I didn't answer, I didn't know. "Our bond was strong enough for me to find you- I followed it when I couldn't find you, and then I could feel you were in distress, so I jumped in a taxi and directed him to where I thought you were. Then I just had to get out and run. I did try to mind link you, but it wasn't going through. I thought you were ignoring me, but I guess it was because you were too weak."

_Thank you, Will. I promise I wasn't ignoring you- I didn't feel anything on my end._

"Don't thank me, just promise me that you'll take better care of yourself. Thank God I decided to come back to visit you when I did."

_I promise._

"Just don't think that's the end of it. We are going to have a serious chat about this- I just don't want to do it when you're like this. The next time I get off a plane to visit you I could do without being worried sick that something's happened to you." I nodded. Now that chat was not something I was looking forward to.

We rounded the corner, and the car park was in sight. I had never been so happy to see pot-hole ridden tarmac in all my life.

"This fiat, yeah?" Will asked jokingly- there were no other cars in the car park.

_Yeah_

"Keys?"

_In the top of my rucksack._ He nodded, gently letting me rest against the car while he fished them out, and unlocked the car.

"Where does the dog go?" He asked.

_Just open the boot, and put him in. _

He did as I suggested, dropping the rucksack in there as well, before picking me up and moving to the passenger seat.

_Hey, what are you doing? I'm driving!_

"As if you could drive like this, Alexis! Don't even think about arguing about this- we need to focus on getting you home and warmed up! I'm gonna ring Xav- I swear you're close to the onset of hypothermia."

_But you're not insured on my car! _

He ignored me, and started taking his top off.

_What are you doing?!_

"We need to get you out of your wet clothes- they'll make you colder. Take off your shirt and put mine on instead." I didn't want to make him strip for me, but there was logic in his idea.

_I can't move my arms. _

He nodded, and helped me to squirm out of my coat and layers- all of which were soaked through, before pulling his top over my head, being a complete gentlemen about the whole affair. Shutting my door carefully, he then moved to the driver's side, adjusting the seat, and then pulling off. He put the heater on full volume, and I warmed my hands on it happily. My shivering had yet to subside, but I was warming up. He dwarfed my car- his huge frame spilling over the seat. I would have laughed, were I not in such pain.

"Okay baby?" He asked pulling onto the main road. I nodded. "We'll have you warmed up soon, okay. Now you're gonna have to direct me." I nodded again.

_It's not far. You've just got to follow the main road until we hit the town, and I'll direct you from there._

"Okay. I'm gonna ring my brother- he's a doctor. He'll know how to warm you up before we go to the hospital."

_No. No hospitals- it's just a sprain, I'm positive._

"We are going to the hospital, Alexis- that's something I'm not compromising on."

_We'll see._ I replied. I was not going to a hospital on Easter Sunday for something I knew was nothing more than a bad sprain. I'd call in and see mum at her surgery tomorrow instead. Will shook his head at me, pulling out his phone and dialling his brother anyway. The handset rested on his lap as he set it to 'speaker mode'. His brother picked up almost immediately.

"Hey Will, what's up?"

"It's Alexis- she's been out walking in the rain, has hurt her ankle, and is absolutely freezing. I'm heading back to hers to warm her up, but I just wanted some medical advice from you now, as I want to warm her up before I take her to the hospital- I swear she was on the brink of hypothermia."

_I am not going to the hospital!_ I screamed at him. My teeth were still chattering so much that talking was impossible.

"Yeah, definitely take her to the hospital, bro- I can't say if it's hypothermia or not without being able to examine her myself. Take off any wet clothes, and wrap her up, letting her warm up slowly- don't warm her up really quickly. Does she still have feeling in her extremities?"

I managed to wiggle my toes and fingers, so nodded in response to his question. Will vocalised my answer to Xav.

"Okay, she should be fine. Give her something hot to drink- a hot chocolate or something. What does she think's wrong with her ankle."

"She says she's twisted it."

"Okay, you'll have to go to the hospital to have someone check it out properly, but if that is what she's got then she'll have to stay off it for a few days. Give her some ibuprofen tablets to help with the pain and bring down the swelling, and then ice it once she's warmed up."

"Thanks Xav, I will do."

"Keep my informed, bro. I'll ring you later to see how she's getting on. You know I'll be on the next plane over there if need be."

"Thanks." Will ended the call. I directed him through town to my flat- the rain was torrential. The windscreen wipers were on full tilt, but even then they didn't seem to be able to clear the water off the screen fast enough. Pulling up outside my flat Will leapt out of the car, grabbed Monty out of the boot, and then came round to pick me up. Needless to say, I got plenty of stares from all the neighbours when they saw me being carried up the stairs by a topless Adonis, whilst I was still in my hiking gear and Will's shirt. It was almost like the hiker's version of the walk of shame. Embarrassed, I turned my head into his chest away from all the stares, and he kissed the top of my head.

"Nearly here, baby. I've got you; you're gonna be okay." He let me down gently on my good leg when we reached my front door so he could open it. Once the door was opened he let Monty run in before picking me up once more. He placed me gently on the sofa.

"Right, where are your towels?"

In the airing cupboard next to the bathroom. I sent him a picture of what it looked like. He nodded, re-appearing with towels a few moments later. He wrapped them around me, bundling me up into a cocoon. He rubbed his palms up and down my arms in an attempt to warm me further. I watched his muscles flex, mesmerised.

"Okay, I think you need a hot bath. I'll have to put you in the shower first, but I think a bath would be good once you've warmed up. I'll run that now, and then we can have a look at your ankle. Sound okay?"

_That sounds perfect. Thank you._ He nodded, turning to go to the bathroom once more, whilst I snuggled deeper into my towel cocoon. I was still shivering, but I was definitely slowly starting to warm up.

"Lex, where do you keep your tea bags?" I heard Will shout from the kitchen.

_Leftmost cupboard next to the fridge. They're in the box with a monkey picture on._ I sent him an image of it too.

"Got it, thanks. I'll be in in a sec." I heard him moving around in the kitchen, before he came back into the lounge carrying a mug of tea. "Can you hold it?" He asked. I nodded, holding out my hands to take it from him. He handed it over- the mug felt scaldingly hot compared to my skin. I took a few sips quickly- the heat trickling its way through my body. It was delightful. I handed it back to him moments later.

_Could you hold that please, Will? I need to unlace my boots._

"Alexis, you are in no state to unlace them yourself. Let me do it." His tone left no room for argument. I sat back against the sofa, allowing him to do as he wished. He put the mug on the coffee table, and began to unlace my walking boots. He did my good foot first, sliding it and my sock off quickly. He wrapped his hand around my foot to warm it. It felt glorious. Pulling it away, I brought my good leg underneath me to warm it whilst he began to unlace my bad ankle. Gently, he began to prise it off my foot when I let out a large yelp, tears springing to my eyes.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He said, taking his hands off immediately.

_No, it's okay. Sorry- it just hurt._

"I'll be more careful this time, okay. Just tell me if it hurts and I'll stop. We can cut it off you at worst." I nodded, and he continued. Eventually he managed to pull my boot loose, before gently taking off my sock too. "Jesus, Alexis! That looks nasty." I looked down. Sure enough, my ankle had swollen to the size of a cricket ball. It made my queasy just to look at. "You got any ibuprofen?" I nodded, still shivering.

_In the cupboard above the microwave in the red box._

"Right. I'll get you a couple of them, and then I think we should get you in the shower- you're still too cold." He came back moments later with two pills which I swallowed down with my tea. Picking me up again, Will carried me to the bathroom, letting me rest on the toilet seat, whilst he stopped the bath running.

"Now Alexis, I'm not trying to pull something on here, but we need to get you out of these wet clothes." He indicated to my sodden leggings, and his top which was now also wet. "I don't want to let you get in the shower on your own, so I'm thinking that I could come in with you, but we'd be both be in our underwear. I won't look, I promise. As much as I want to see you in your underwear, I'm not going to take advantage of you now, do you understand? I just don't want you to slip and hurt yourself further. Does that seem alright." Honesty shone in his eyes. I trusted him implicitly- and understood his reasoning, so I nodded.

_That sounds okay. Can you help me get out of these?_ I asked, motioning to my t-shirt and leggings.

"Sure." Carefully, he removed the towels I was draped in, putting them on the heated rack to dry out, and turning the shower on to a low heat. The idea was that I'd gradually start to warm up in the shower, before he let me sit in the scalding hot bath to properly warm up. Once he'd done that he eased me out of my leggings, taking extra care with my bad ankle. Tugging off my t-shirt, and his trousers and socks, he picked me up once more and stood me under the shower in his arms, allowing me to rest my body weight on him, which took any pressure off my ankle. I could feel my throat muscles loosening up again, and my shivering began to subside as I stood under the hot steam. Gradually, he began to increase the temperature. I was beginning to get feeling back into all of my limbs, which was good, but meant that my ankle was starting to hurt again; the ibuprofen obviously hadn't kicked in yet.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." I looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "Thank you, Will. Honestly, thank you. If you hadn't come, I-" My eyes started to water.

"Hey, hey. You're safe now. That's all that matters, okay." I nodded.

"You think you're ready to get in the bath now?" I nodded. I'd stopped shivering, but I still felt cold.

"Yeah, the bath sounds good."

**Please leave a review to tell me what you thought! I don't know when I'll next upload, as I have an exam on Monday, so am busy revising for that at the moment. If I get the chance to write I'll try to upload before then, but if not my next update will be once my exam's over. **

**Thanks for your support! Please do leave a review- they do help me to upload quicker! Chater 21 is half written, and will be out if I get chance to finish it off instead of revising!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews, guys! I wouldn't write if it weren't for your feedback! My English exam is now over (thank goodness) so I'm free to write again now that uni is finished for the summer! Yay! Good luck to all of you stressing out with A-levels, GCSEs and other exams- I've suffered through them and feel your pain, I can assure you!**

**Anyway, here's chapter 21. I hope you like it! Please leave a review!**

Turning off the shower, he picked me up again and sat me carefully in the tub.

"You okay if I leave you for a minute?" He asked, towelling himself off, whilst I tried not to gawp. "I was thinking I'd go and make you something to eat if you fancied it?"

"You don't have to, Will. You've already done so much for me."

"It's not that I don't have to, Alexis. I want to. Besides, I'll feel better if you've had something warm to eat."

"Okay, but make sure you get something too. Help yourself to anything in the cupboards."

"Cool. You don't happen to have any male clothes I could wear, do you? It's just mine are all soaked, and I already dropped my suitcase off at my hotel, so…" I was almost tempted to tell him no; it seemed heinous to make him cover up his perfect torso.

"Yeah, sure. I think I have some of my brother's stuff here somewhere. Try the top right shelf of the wardrobe in the spare room. It's the door on your left." He looked relieved at that, obviously glad that he didn't have to strut around wearing just a towel, not that I'd mind. Thankfully it was Jack who'd left clothes here, not my ex-boyfriend. I didn't know how well Will would take to wearing an ex's clothes after his reaction to Sam the other week.

He nodded and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I grabbed the flannel on the side of the tub and began to wash myself off, removing all the grime from my fall. Today had been a very close call; if I were a cat I would definitely be down to eight lives after today's debacle. Thank God Will had come to see me today- I know he said he'd see me soon, but someone must have been looking over me for it to have been today. I'd had a very, very lucky escape.

I washed my hair slowly, rubbing the shampoo right into my scalp, before submerging myself like a mermaid in order to get it out. I was feeling nearly back to normal. Well, apart from my throbbing ankle- the ibuprofen seemed to have had no effect on that! Grimacing, I tried to flex it, but I still couldn't. This was definitely one of the worst sprains I'd ever had, and I'd had many. I wouldn't be able to walk on it properly for a few days. This was exactly what I didn't need! How was I going to take Monty on walks now? I rubbed my face in my hands and sighed.

"You okay?" Will asked, poking his head round the door. He was fully dressed in Jack's clothes. Although Jack wasn't small Will was taller and bulkier than he, so the t-shirt was stretched tightly across his chest, and the shorts were just a smidge too short for him.

"Yeah, I'm fine thanks. Would you be able to help me out of here, though. I think I'm done now."

Nodding, he grabbed a towel, draping it across his shoulder before hauling me out of the bath. I stood on one leg whilst he wrapped it around me, gently rubbing the water off.

"Do you want to put some dry clothes on while I get dinner ready? I'm just warming up some soup- it shouldn't take long."

"Yes please." He hoisted me up into his arms once more. "My room's the one on the right." He followed my instructions, dropping me onto my bed. Thankfully, I'd been awake enough to at least make my bed this morning, although my clothes from last night were still strewn across the floor. Tactfully, neither of us addressed that.

"Where and what are the clothes do you want?" I motioned to the wardrobe.

"Just grab me some trackies from the shelf next to the books, and a t-shirt from the shelf above it, please." He followed my instructions, tossing me the garments.

"Underwear?"

"I can manage finding my underwear just fine, Will." I laughed. "But thank you anyway- they're just in my bedside cabinet, which I can reach from here." I made an exaggerated leaning motion to the cabinet to emphasise just how easy it was for me to do so. He grinned at me.

"Okay, babe. Hearing you loud and clear. I'll leave you to it, then. Just shout if you need me. I'll just be in the kitchen checking the soup."

"Okay. Thank you." He nodded and left. As soon as he shut the door behind him, I set about peeling off my wet underwear. My plain black knickers and black sports bra may not have been the best underwear to pick, had I known Will were to end up seeing me in them, but at least they weren't white; I could count my blessings for that at least. Taking them off and drying myself I hobbled to my bedside drawer, pulling out the first bra and knickers I could find. Wriggling into them whilst only being able to stand on one foot proved most difficult, but I got there in the end. A lick of deodorant completed my beauty regime, and I slid on the trackies and t-shirt Will had thrown at me. I dried my hair quickly before I headed for the kitchen, not wanting it to make me cold. I'd had quite enough of the cold for one day. Setting my electric blanket onto a low setting ready for when I got into bed, I grabbed my dressing gown and hobbled into the kitchen one- footed. It was harder than I thought, and I paused for breath against the doorjamb that led to my open plan kitchen and lounge. Will, as if sensing me, looked up from the hob.

"Alexis, what are you doing on that foot?" He exclaimed, dropping the spoon he was using to stir the soup back into pot and walking towards me. "You should have called me if you wanted to come in here- I was going to bring it in to you. We could do without you injuring yourself further!"

"I'm fine, honest." He continued to walk towards me.

"No, you're not. Don't try to pretend it's not hurting, because I can tell by your face that it is."

"Your back's going to be hurting if you keep on carrying me everywhere. I'm far too heavy. Just let me lean on you a sec." He rolled his eyes at me, but followed my instructions, helping lead me to the kitchen table and getting me a seat.

"Right, let's get this ankle propped up." He grabbed a cushion from the sofa, and gently lay my ankle to rest on it.

"R.I.C.E."

"What?" I asked. Had he gone mad?

"R.I.C.E: R for rest, I for ice, C for compression, E for elevate. It's how you treat sprains. Have you got any ice?"

"Yeah- there's an ice pack in the freezer. I keep it in there for emergencies. Good job now, eh?"

"Very good job. It'll be far better than a bag of frozen peas!" He agreed. He took it out of the freezer, wrapping it in a tea towel to ensure it didn't come into direct contact with my skin, and pressed it around my ankle. I shivered as soon as it touched me- it was freezing.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, it's just cold." He quirked his eyebrow at me. "Okay, yes I was expecting it to be cold- it was just colder than I thought." He laughed.

"Yeah, because that makes perfect sense." I scoffed at him, and he flashed his dimples at me. God, the boy could make me melt. He turned, spooning the soup into two bowls and bringing them to the table. So he was adept in the kitchen, and absolutely gorgeous? I swear life just wasn't fair; why were some people blessed with everything? He passed mine over to me, complete with a massive hunk of bread to dunk in the soup.

"Eat up." He said, tucking into his own bowl. The soup was gorgeous. Yes, it had come straight out of a can, but the heat was delicious. I felt so snug and warm afterwards- the tragic events of this afternoon seemed like nothing more than a distant memory.

"So.." Will started. I put down my spoon, giving him my full attention. "I don't want to get mad at you, but I want to talk about this afternoon." I looked down at my hands, feeling as though I was being reprimanded by the headteacher.

"Okay." I squeaked. He put his hands on top of mine, and I looked up at him.

"You need to take care of yourself." I nodded at him and looked away, embarrassed.

"Alexis, look at me." I obeyed. "You are so precious to me; more precious than you know. I'm not trying to be a possessive asshole- it's just you're too important. I can't let something like this happen to you ever again. You can't be this reckless; I just want you to be safe. Your safety's everything, okay."

"I'm sorry." I blurted out. Tears started to pool in my eyes as I said it.

"Oh, honey." He came over and wrapped his arms around me. "I don't want to make you upset, I just want you to be more careful, okay. Just, if you go out on your own again, at least tell someone, and take a fully charged phone."

"I will, I promise. I was just stupid today, and if it weren't for you I wouldn't probably be seeing tomorrow."

"Hey, let's not talk about what might have been. All that matters is that you're safe now. I might have to invest in a Nokia for you, though- they never run out of battery life!" I laughed.

"Will, I do not need you to buy me anything else!"

"Didn't you like what I got you?" He asked, motioning to the parcel full of jeans that I'd left on the worktop from yesterday. I sighed, putting a hand to his cheek.

"I loved them, and you know it, but you shouldn't have." He opened his mouth to interrupt, but I pressed a finger to his lips. "What you've done for me tonight means more to me than any gift ever will, and I can't thank you enough. Really, it should be me buying you presents from now on." He blushed at that, and swiftly changed the subject.

"Right, we should probably head to the hospital now, you need to have that ankle checked out. Where's the nearest one to here?" I sighed.

"Will, I've already told you- I'm not going to the hospital."

"Yes, and I've already told you that we are." He picked up both bowls from the table and began to wash them up, loading them onto the draining rack once he was done.

""Will, seriously it's just a bad sprain. I know it's a bad sprain. Do you know how many times I've sprained my ankles before?"

"No."

"Four times- twice on each ankle. Five now, I suppose. Now, there is no point in me going to an A&amp;E department and wasting their time when I know that it's nothing more than a sprain. I'm not wasting their time with this when they've got people to deal with who are actually in life or death situations." Mum and Dad had both previously worked in A&amp;E departments, and we'd heard all about the 'time wasters' they had to deal with.

"Alexis, you were in a life or death situation a few hours ago. Now, either you come willingly, or I carry you. It's your choice." He stood, arms crossed over his chest, goading me.

"I am not going."

"That is not an option: you are going. The question I asked is whether you're going to come of your own accord or not." His eyes dared me to defy him. I could see now that I wasn't going to be able to budge him on this.

"Okay, how about we compromise?"

"Go on."

"My Mum's a GP, but she does shifts in A&amp;E now and again. How about I call her in the morning, and she comes and looks at it?"

"How about you ring her now?"

"She's on shift now. She'll be finishing soon I bet, but I'm not making her come round here when she needs a good sleep. I'll ask if she can come over in the morning."

"And what if your Mum comes round in the morning, examines it, and decides you need to go straight to hospital? Then, you've made it even worse, and she'll be mad that you didn't ring her earlier, and that you deemed it not bad enough to go to hospital. How about you ring your Mum now, if she's busy then I'll take you to the hospital, but if she can come over then I won't make you go." I stared at him, and he stared back- each willing the other to be the first to crack. Needless to say, I cracked first- he did have a point, and I didn't want to argue with him when all he wanted was my wellbeing. Besides, he was right- Mum would want me to ring her or Dad if I had I had something wrong with me, and would be horrified if I they found out I hadn't. I knew I could ring either of them at any time: night or day and they'd come running.

"Okay, fine, I'll ring her now." He grinned happily at me, smug in his victory. I made to move off the chair to go and grab my phone. It was probably still in my coat pocket.

"Hey, where are you off to? You're to stay in that chair with your foot up. What do you want?"

"I need to get my phone to ring my Mum."

"Do you know her number?"

"Yes, but it's already programmed into my phone." He took his phone out of his pocket, and slid it across the table to me.

"Here, use mine- yours is probably still flat. I'll put yours on charge for you. Where is it?"

"Thanks." I say, picking it up off the table. I hadn't thought of that. "I think it's in my coat pocket."

"And your coat is?"

"Probably still in the car I imagine." He nodded. We'd neglected to bring in any other belongings in our rush to get inside.

"I'll go grab it from the car. Anything else in there?"

"Just my t-shirt, jumper and your coat I think. I'll put all our wet stuff in the wash then."

"Okay, I'll be back soon." He picked up my keys from the coffee table and made his way out of the flat. I punched in my mum's number as soon as he left. Hopefully she'd have her phone on her, and be able to pick up. I really didn't want to have to go to the hospital with Will tonight; I just wanted to go to bed.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hey Mum, it's Alexis."

"Oh hello, dear. Sorry- you confused me as you came up as an unknown number."

"Yeah, I'm ringing off a friend's phone because mine's flat. Anyway, I was just wondering when you finished tonight?"

"I'm on my break now- it's mad tonight, so I'll be back on in a minute. I should be done in a couple of hours though. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing really. It's just I've had a bit of a nasty fall this afternoon- I think I've sprained my ankle. I just wondered if you could come and check it over for me. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't broken it or anything."

"Oh, Alexis- I swear you're always injuring yourself somehow! Of course I'll come over and check it out- don't be ridiculous! How did you do it? Netball again? Honestly, that sport does you more harm than good!" Mum was used to my constant ankle injuries from netball, so this came as no shock to her.

"No, not this time. I was hiking, Monty chased after some sheep, and I slipped and fell trying to catch him. My ankle just turned- I think I stepped down a hole or something."

"Oh Alexis! You should have rang! Are you okay? Did you get Monty? Where are you now?"

"Yes, I'm fine Mum. I'm home safely, and so is Monty." I looked over to see Mont fast asleep in his bed. He hadn't moved from there since we'd got back, unperturbed by all the drama he'd managed to cause.

"Thank goodness for that! Right, I'll be over as soon as I'm done here, and I'll bring some crutches- I'm presuming you can't put weight on it?"

"Yeah, that would be great Mum, thanks."

"So just how did you get home and get Monty back if you can't walk, Alexis?" She asked. Well, that was the million dollar question, wasn't it? Will walked back through the door then, coat in hand. I smiled at him in greeting.

"I bumped into a friend; he helped me home." I watched as Will plugged my phone on charge, letting it rest on the cabinet.

"He did, did he? Will I have the pleasure of meeting this friend anytime soon, Alexis? I must say, it's very lucky that you just managed to bump into this friend on your hike." I groaned- of course she picked up on that.

"Very lucky indeed." I mumbled. "He's already headed home, but I'm sure you'll be able to meet him at some point." Some point here being code for never. She hummed approvingly down the line. Will grinned cheekily when he overheard that, walking over and sitting down opposite me. I avoided eye contact.

"I'll hold you to that, Alexis." Of course she would. "Right, I'm being called; my break's over. I'll be round as soon as I can. Ice it for the time being and keep it up. I'm sure you know the drill by now." She was right, ankle injuries were all too familiar by now, and I knew exactly what to do when I got one. "Is it okay if I stop in your spare room? I want to keep an eye on you overnight, and if you can't walk you'll need someone around for the next few days to help you out. That is, unless your friend will be helping you out?"

"Mum, the spare room's yours if you want it. I'll see you later."

"Don't think I didn't notice you not answering that question, young lady! See you soon, sweetheart. I'll text you when I'm on my way, as I'll have to stop off at home to get some clothes first."

"Thanks Mum. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart. Take care- I'll see you soon." She hung up, and I passed the phone back to Will.

"So?" He asked.

"She's on shift at the minute, but she's coming over as soon as she's done, which should be in a couple of hours. She's gonna stay the night to make sure I'm okay."

"Sounds good. I'll be 'heading home' before she gets here, don't worry." He winks at me, quoting what he overheard me say to my Mother. I did not want to introduce my mother to soulfinder I'd denied having this evening, or any evening for that matter. "But I'll be able to ring Mrs Anderson for a chat whenever I like. We can get to know each other over the phone I'm sure."

"Oh really? And just how are you going to do that?" He waved his phone at me.

"I've got it saved in here." Drat. I'd forgotten that he'd be able to keep the number once I'd used it.

"You wouldn't!"

"It's an excellent blackmailing tool. I'm sure we could have some very interesting conversations." He said with a wink, and I groaned in response.

"Surely I should get your Mum's number, then? That only seems fair. That way I can get some dirt on you."

"Keen aren't we Alexis? Look, I would give you my Mom's number, but I don't know what you'd do with it. We both know you've got a thing for her: eyeing her up at the convention, wanting to send her lingerie, and now not too subtly asking for her number! If I didn't know better I'd say you were a stalker!" I leaned over the table and slapped him playfully on the arm for that one. I swear that lie was something he was never going to let me forget.

"You're just jealous that your Mum's better looking than you." I said, watching his chest puff out in response.

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm actually the best looking one in my family." I believed him. Boy, I wholeheartedly believed him- he was genetically blessed. If any of his family looked anything like him then they'd be able to send women across the globe into a hot flush, not that I'd tell him that. His head wouldn't fit through the door if I did.

"Yeah, yeah. That's what you tell yourself to help you get to sleep at night." I teased. He harrumphed indignantly at that.

"Fine, I'll prove it." He said, moving so that he was sat next to me, beginning to flick through his photo album on his phone, stopping on a group picture.

"Is this your family?" I asked, gawping. There were hundreds of them!

"Yeah, I'm one of seven brothers."

"Seven?" I shrieked. "Your poor mother had to deal with seven of you? My God, my mum complains that having to look after three kids was bad."

"Yeah, we're a pretty big family. Mum sometimes did get overwhelmed by the testosterone, but it's evened out now they've all found their soulfinders." I gazed down at the picture- they were all gorgeous, there wasn't a dud amongst them.

"Okay, who's who? Talk me through."

"Sure. Right, these are my parents Saul and Karla." I recognised them both immediately. His Mum was definitely the lady I'd pretended to have a crush on at the convention.

"Hey, was your Dad part of the security team at the convention?"

"Yeah, that's him. My company was in charge of security for the event. Dad has a gift for sensing danger- it's where I get my gift from, I guess." I nodded. That made sense- surely being able to sense danger was ideal for if you wanted to set up your own security system.

"Were all your family at the convention?" I remembered seeing Saul, Karla, Yves,and his soulfinder, but I didn't think I'd spotted anybody else from the family.

"We were all helping out, so you might have bumped into us, although most of us were behind the scenes, apart from me, so you might not have seen us. Here, I'll talk you through from the top. This is my oldest brother Trace." He zoomed in on part of the photograph to reveal a man with his arms wrapped around a woman holding a baby. Both were grinning broadly into the camera. "That's his soulfinder, Diamond, and their baby girl Delilah."

"She's precious." I said, looking at the cherubic little girl.

"She's got everyone wrapped around her little finger." Will explained with a smile. Mind, it was hardly surprising considering she had a supermodel for a mother.

"This is Uriel and his fiancé Tess." He zoomed in on another extremely good looking couple, who were too engrossed in each other to pay too much attention to the camera.

"Next to them we've got Victor and his wife Aurora. She's the polar opposite of the disney princess Aurora, mind, and we all call her Rory. Then there's me." He scrolled over to himself, looking effortlessly gorgeous as always, although the absence of a female by his side made him stand out amongst all the over loved up couples.

"I'm the middle child, so after that there's my three younger brothers and their soulfinders. There's Xav and Crystal- he's the one I spoke to on the phone, and Crystal's the soulseeker making all the matches at the convention. Yves and Phoenix you already met." He was right, Phoenix was the girl that took my information, and was who Alice went with to talk about Dragon. "Finally there's my youngest brother, Zed and his girlfriend Sky."

"I think I met Zed and Sky actually. Was she part of the security? He was looking after her after the argument outside."

"Yeah, that would be them. Zed's fiercely protective of Sky, and that little incident nearly pushed him over the edge." Yeah, I'd definitely seen that at the convention- he'd been furious. "Sky can see when someone's telling a lie- an easy way of seeing if someone's about to cause trouble."

"Oh, so that's what she meant about me turning yellow!" Her comment at the convention made much more sense now I knew what her gift was.

"Yellow's for lies I think. She says your aura changes, so don't worry, you won't be turning into a canary anytime soon if that's what you were worried about." He ruffled my hair playfully.

"So that's the Benedict clan, then?"

"Yep, that's us."

"I don't know how I'd manage to remember everyone's names!"

"Oh, that's easy. We're in alphabetical order."

"Really?"

"Mum had a strange fascination with the alphabet. T for Trace, U for Uri, V for Vic, W for the most handsome man you'll ever meet-"

"And most egotistical" I butted in.

"Yes, that too." He admitted. "X for Xav, Y for Yves and Z for Zed."

"Wow. Did your Mum always plan on having seven of you from the start, then? I mean, she couldn't start the pattern, and not see it through to the end, could she?"

"I don't know, I've never really thought about it. I suppose that's another reason why, conventionally, people would think to begin at the start of the alphabet." I hummed in understanding.

"Will, I hate to break it to you, but there's nothing conventional about using the alphabet to name your kids." He laughed at that. "Are all the couples soulfinders?" I asked, looking back at the photo.

"Yeah, all of them. They all managed to find one another without the convention, apart from Uri and I. Uri found Tess last year in Syndney. I thought I would have found you there once it was made mandatory. Didn't you go to the Syndney convention?"

"No, I didn't. This year was my first. I had a really bad case of the flu, and I couldn't make it. I was bed-ridden for a week; it was awful." He nodded at that.

"So what about your family?"

"Well, we're tiny compared to your family, that's for sure! And our names aren't half as cool as yours." He grinned at that.

"I got lucky with Will- it's the most normal out of the bunch." I had to agree with him there- I'd never even heard of the name Uriel before.

"Are you a Will or a William, though?"

"Officially I'm a William, but no one's ever called me that. I didn't even know I had the 'iam' bit until I went to Kindergarten and they told me my name wasn't just Will." I laughed at that, imagining Will as a child, perplexed by the name he'd never know he'd had. "So what about your family?"

"There's not much to tell, really. I'm one of three, and I'm the middle child like you. My parents are soulfinders, my older brother Jack met his soulfinder, Savannah at the convention in Vienna a couple of years ago, and you know Alice already- I'm sure she's filled you in on me." He blushed at that.

"There was only so much information I could get from the records we keep at the Net, and she was willing to help."

"You went through my records?" I asked, watching him squirm uncomfortably.

"Well, yeah. You ran off in the middle of the convention, and all I knew was that your name was Mary! After I lost you I went back to the convention to try and work out who you were, but there were no Mary's on record under the age of forty, but then I met your sister. I almost mistook her for you initially." He blushed. That happened a lot- people getting me and Alice mixed up, not the blushing. We almost always got mistaken for twins. "She explained who you were, why you'd ran off, and told me to leave you for a while until you'd cooled off. But I couldn't wait for that, so I looked up your address and got the first plane out here. You know the rest." Indeed I did.

"So what else do you know about me then, William?" I asked, taking great delight in using his full name.

"Not much, really. Just that you're an elementary school teacher, you went to University in Sheffield, you have a pet dog called Monty and your gift is persuasion, which is what you used on me at the convention."

"Oh, so not a lot then?" I asked, incredulous. I'd had no idea that the Net had such thorough records- I thought they only knew my name and date of birth! He squirmed a little at that.

"Not all that much, I guess." He hedged. "Only that and what Alice told me."

"Alright, stalker. You'll have to fill me in on you. It seems unfair that you know what seems like my life story, and I know relatively little about you."

"There's not much to know, to be honest. My full name's William Joseph Benedict and I'm from Wrickenwridge in Colorado. I went to university in Denver, majoring in computing, and since graduating I've set up Benedict Security, which is based in Denver, but I'm pretty flexible." That explained why Will had to fly home, and also why he was able to come and visit me so frequently. As the founder of the company he had greater freedom than his employees, and he was able to exploit it.

My phone then dinged from across the room. Thankfully, it hadn't been damaged, even though it had been soaked after being in my pocket this afternoon. Thank goodness I'd invested in a water-proof case! I may have thought it pricey at the time, but it was definitely cheaper than buying a new phone, as this afternoon proved.

"That's probably my Mum." I said, glancing across the room to where it was sat on charge.

"I'll get it." Will said, rising from his seat and striding to get it for me. He passed it over to me, and I read the message.

_Just leaving the hospital now. I'll be over in about half an hour x_

"Yeah, it's Mum. She says she's on her way, and that she'll be here in half an hour." Wow, the time had really flown by whilst we were chatting.

"Right. I'll make myself scarce. Will you be okay while you wait for her?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you for everything, Will"

"I'd do anything for you, you're my soulfinder" He kissed me on the forehead softly. "Will you text me when your mum gets here so I know you're safe? I nodded.

"Are you okay to get back. Wait, where are you even staying? Do you have anywhere to stay?" I wasn't about to turf him out onto the street.

"I'm staying at the Hilton in Derby, it's not too far away from here- I'll call a cab." Of course he was staying at the most expensive hotel in the neighbourhood; he was a Benedict.

"Okay, cool." He began to pick up his belongings that weren't absolutely soaked- the rest were in a pile by the washing machine . I'd put them all through when I was a bit more mobile, and give them back to him when I next saw him.

"Will you ring me tonight to tell me what your mum makes of your ankle? I just want to make sure it's okay."

"Sure." I promised him, watching as he slipped his trainers on. "I don't know what time, it'll be, but I will." It was creeping towards eight now- we'd been talking for hours.

"Thanks- don't worry about the time, I'm still a bit jet-lagged, and I won't be able to sleep until I know." I smiled at him, he was so sweet. He opened the door to let himself out. "Night Alexis, take care."

"You too" he replied. And with that, my saviour was gone.

**Please leave a review to tell me what you thought! If I hit 145 reviews I'll put chapter 22 up tonight, as I'm already half way through writing it. Also, I want your opinions: would you rather I update Will's POV of Challenging Alexis, so it's at the same point as this one, or keep up with/ finish Challenging Alexis first? Do let me know! X**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews! You guys are awesome! This one's for you- I hope you like it! x**

Chapter 22:

Whilst I waited for Mum to arrive I grabbed my phone and turned on the radio. It took my mind off both the coldness and pain that was coming from my ankle. I got that ice packs did the job, but they were downright uncomfortable- I'd had enough of the cold today, or ever, really. My mum burst into the flat twenty minutes later, crutches in hand, and a small suitcase trailing behind her.

"Oh, Alexis, there you are. How are you feeling?" she asked from the door whilst she took her shoes off, picking up the crutches and bringing them towards me, her face set in worry.

"I'm fine, Mum. What's the suitcase for?" she was only staying a night, not a month!

"Oh, nothing much- just some nightwear, clothes and my scrubs for tomorrow." Well, that explained that. She was still in her scrubs now, so obviously hadn't had time to change when she'd stopped off at home. My mother was always prepared for every eventuality.

"Right, let's have a look at this ankle then." She'd just entered doctor mode- I could tell from the shift in her voice. She carefully unwrapped the ice pack from around my ankle and examined it closely. "Goodness, it's swelled a lot, Alexis!" I winced as she picked it up gently.

"Yep" I managed to get out through clenched teeth.

"Can you move it?"

"Just about." I flexed it to prove that I could, though it really hurt. She hummed whilst she looked over it.

"I do think it is just a sprain, Alexis, but it is a pretty nasty one. I think I'll have a look again in the morning, just to be sure. If it's swelled even more overnight then I'm taking you with me to the hospital in the morning, to get it x-rayed just to make sure it's nothing more than a sprain.." She replaced the icepack carefully. "You'll just have to continue icing it until then. It's unfortunate that Savannah's away still- she'd have been more use than me with this sort of thing." Yes, my sister-in-law and her ability to 'see' what was wrong with things made her an excellent vet, and also proved useful whenever someone in the family had an illness that my doctor parents, couldn't diagnose. Still, I'd managed fine before Savannah met Jack, and this would be no different. I was not making them cut their London trip short, just so that they could check me over.

"Okay. Thanks Mum."

"Right, how's about an early night? We could put a film on or something maybe?"

"Sounds good." I said, standing on one foot and using my new crutches to hobble to the sofa. It was nice to be mobile again, but I kind of missed Will carrying me around- he spoiled me.

"Right. You get yourself comfy, and I'll make us some tea."

"Oh, don't worry, Mum. I've had tea, but use whatever you want from the fridge for you."

"Okay, love. I'm thinking beans on toast might be best- I can't be bothered making anything fancy tonight." I didn't blame her- she'd probably been on shift for about ten hours, it was no wonder she didn't want to faff around. If I were her I'd just collapse with exhaustion; even beans on toast would be too much effort for me!

"A student special, hey Mum." I winked at her from the sofa. I'd turned on the TV and was currently flicking through the channels to find something to watch for a couple of hours before bed.

"You got it, Lex! Right, is it okay if I take a shower before I start? I smell of disinfectant." That was hardly surprising, seeing as she'd been on shift all day.

"Yeah, of course. Towels are in the airing cupboard."

"Perfect." She went to the door to collect her suitcase. "I shan't be long. Mind-link me if you need anything, okay?"

"Will do, Mum." I affirmed, snuggling into the sofa, and losing myself in an episode of NCIS.

Mum came out of the shower a bit later, towelling her hair dry, and joining me on the sofa once she'd been out to take Monty for a quick walk. The evening passed quickly; we chatted for a few hours whilst 'Midsommer Murders' played quietly in the background. When it got to half ten we decided to call it a night. I was shattered, and wanted nothing more than to curl up in my nice warm bed. Grabbing the remote, I flicked off the telly.

"Time for bed?"

"Definitely." Mum agreed, picking up her plate with her remains of beans on toast on it, and moving to the kitchen to put it away. I grabbed my crutches, and began to move towards my room.

"Do you want me to bring you anything, Alexis?"

"Just a glass of water please. I'd get it myself, but I can't hold it with these." I lifted my crutches to emphasise my point.

"I'll bring it in when I'm done washing up."

"Thanks." I said, moving towards my bedroom. "I'm just gonna get ready for bed."

"Okay, dear. I'll be in soon." I nodded, and busied myself getting ready for bed. I brushed my teeth quickly, and disposed of my contact lenses, before changing into my pyjamas, and crawling into bed. My ankle was still throbbing, but the pain was thankfully less than it once was. My ice pack had nearly fully melted, so I peeled it off, deciding to ask Mum to drop it back into the freezer when she came in with my drink- I'd need to use it again tomorrow morning. I also needed to remember to call Will to keep him updated since he'd been so adamant about knowing what was going on. I didn't dare call him before I knew my mum was asleep, or at least in the spare room. She needed to be far enough away so that she didn't hear what was going on. I did not want to deal with my mother questioning me about the 'friend' that had saved me, and why he was so very concerned about my health. I was pretty useless at lying, and she knew it. I did not want to blurt out that I'd lied about having a soulfinder because she'd be planning a wedding that was never going to happen before she'd even met the poor boy. Putting on my glasses, I took my book from the bedside cabinet and began to read. I was interrupted a few minutes later by the arrival of my mother, clad in her pyjamas, with a glass of water in her hand.

"Here you go, dear." She said as she placed the glass on my bedside table and came to sit next to me. I folded over the corner of my page and let it rest of my pillow.

"Thanks" I took the glass from the side and took a sip.

"So.." Mum took a seat on the bed next to me. I raised my eyebrows.

"So, what?"

"I think you know exactly what, Alexis" she said cheekily with a wink. No, contrary to her opinion, I did not know what she meant. I looked at her blankly and she sighed in exasperation. "Okay, fine. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get it out of you easily."

"Get what out of me easily?"

"Information about your 'friend'" She explained with another exaggerated wink. I groaned in response, and pulled the duvet covers over my head. I did not want to deal with this tonight; she was so embarrassing! Mum continued, however, seemingly unperturbed by me hiding under my quilt. "Don't think I didn't notice the two bowls in the drainer, the male clothes in the washing pile, you not answering my questions about what actually happened this afternoon.." I put my hands over my ears in an attempt to drown out her prattling. Suddenly, the duvet was ripped from my eyes.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, looking up to see my mother was to blame.

"So when will I get to meet this friend then, Alexis?" I groaned.

"Mum!" She chuckled at that, and kissed my forehead.

"Okay, sweetheart- I won't pressure you any more. You'll tell me when you're ready won't you?" I didn't reply, but she seemed to take that as a yes. "I knew that soulfinder convention was a good idea. You may not have found your soulfinder, but it's nice that you've found another savant." I turned over to face her.

"How do you know he's a savant?" I asked, confused. I knew Alice hadn't told her, and I certainly hadn't!

"I didn't. You've just confirmed it!" She clapped her hands with glee. "I knew it! I said to your father that you seemed different after the convention and I was right."

"You are incorrigible!"

"I know. Your father loves it!"

"Mum!" I squealed. "I did not need to know that!" She laughed again, and stood up. "You will let me meet him at some point though, won't you? I want to thank him for helping you today." I mumbled something in response- I didn't want to give her a definite answer because I knew she'd hold me to it. "Pardon Alexis?"

"Okay, fine. You can meet him.. just not yet, okay.? She bounced up and down on the spot happily. "Besides, I don't think it's going to go anywhere." Well, I was going to try and make sure it didn't go anywhere; I still wasn't sold on the whole soulfinder thing, and I didn't think I ever would be.

"That's what you always say, Alexis. I've got a feeling about this one- he's already got my approval for helping you this afternoon." He'd be getting her full approval if she somehow found out he was my soulfinder. I'd have to do my best to keep that little nugget of information under wraps.

"We'll see." I mumbled. "Oh, and Mum, I meant to ask. Could you do me a favour and put that ice pack back in the freezer? It's just I can't face going to the freezer, but I'll need to use it again tomorrow."

"Of course, dear." She said, scooping it up from the floor. "I'll stop interrogating you now and leave you to sleep. I'll come and check on you in the morning." She kissed my forehead, and made her way out of my room, flicking off the light switch as she went. "Goodnight sweetheart." I rolled over onto my side.

"Night Mum. Love you."

"Love you too." She said as she closed the door behind her. I waited until I heard her walk to her room and close the door before I turned on my bedside lamp. I didn't want her barging in to see who I was ringing at eleven at night. I waited five more minutes just to be safe, before I picked up my phone and dialled Will's number. He picked up immediately.

"Hey, what did your Mum say?" Blimey; there was no messing about with Will- he was straight to the point.

"She thinks it's just a sprain, but she's going to have another look at it tomorrow. If it's swollen even more overnight then she's going to take me to the hospital with her to have it x-rayed." He hummed in approval.

"Okay. Keep me posted. If your Mum's driving you there then how are you going to get back?" I hadn't thought of that. Mum would be staying at the hospital for the rest of her shift, and I'd have no way of getting home. Still, it may not come to that- it could have dramatically improved by the morning, and I didn't have to go to hospital at all. I relayed this to Will.

"Yes, but if you do have to go, Alexis, how are you going to get home?"

"I'll order a taxi I guess." I said, cringing inadvertently when I imagined the astronomic fare that would ensue.

"Why don't I come and get you, if you go?"

"Will, you don't have to keep running around after me." I felt guilty enough that he'd had to waste his whole evening and afternoon looking after me.

"Sweetheart, I didn't come all the way to Derby to sit in a hotel all day working. I could do that at home; I came here to see you. I want to come and get you- it'll give us more time together." I couldn't really argue with that logic. I was sure he'd rather be back home in Denver than stuck in the middle of nowhere.

"Okay, fine. Only if you're sure though- I don't want you to feel like you have to come and get me. I'll be fine getting a taxi, honest." Well, unless it was with the same taxi driver that took me to the airport- he was downright creepy!

"Alexis, I'm sure. I'll probably still come and see you, even if you don't end up having to go to hospital. I mean, who's going to take Monty for a walk if you can't?" He had a point there.

"Okay, thank you Will. That's very kind of you."

"Sweetheart, I can assure you; me collecting you from the hospital is an entirely selfish action." I refused to believe that for a moment.

"Well, I'll drop you a text in the morning to tell you what's happening and we'll go from there. How does that sound?"

"Okay, cool. I'll wait to hear from you tomorrow. Sweet dreams."

"You too. Night." I hung up and put my phone back on the dresser- flicking off the lights. I was ready for today to be over.

**Please leave a review- thank you for all your feedback. I've decided that I'm going to update Will's POV soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that. It will be posted as part of a separate story, originally titled 'Challenging Alexis: Will's POV' ha! Please check it out if you haven't- I'd like to know what you all think. I'll try to update Alexis' POV again soon, though! And reviews, honestly, do motivate me to write, so keep posting! Much love x**

**Also, in answer to some of your questions:**

**The Benedict family will be appearing shortly, don't worry! **

**I doubt I'll do a sequel to this story as I don't think I'll have time, but this story hasn't even got started properly yet, the main action is yet to come. I won't say any more as I don't want to reveal too much, but rest assured it will not be plain sailing from here… **

**I will be trying to finish Will's POV, which kind of counts as a sequel as I suppose? And I would be open to doing some one-shots about Alice, Sam etc, but we'll have to wait and see.**

**Anyway, thank you so much for your reviews! They brighten my day, and you are all so lovely! I'm thrilled you like Will and Alexis together- I've tried to make them as adorable as possible! Ha! Thanks guys! X**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for all your reviews, guys! I seriously wouldn't write if it weren't for them! Thank you for your feedback!**

**Apologies for the delay in updating- I've been so, so busy this past week and a bit, but I should be updating again now everything's settled again! Also, i've been thinking, as I promised a minimum of weekly updates, I've decided that my regular update day will be Sunday, so keep your eyes peeled! I'm also going to try and get another update out ASAP as I've been so rubbish updating lately!**

**Anyway, without further ado, here's chapter 23. I hope you like it! Please leave a review!**

I woke early up early the next day from the pain in my ankle, and a banging headache. My ankle was much worse than it had been yesterday, if that were even possible. I rolled over to look at my alarm clock; it was only half past six! I fell back onto my pillows with a flop, sneezing as I did so. Great; I was coming down with a cold too. Mum didn't start her shift until nine, and I'd set my alarm for seven to allow me time to get ready if I did need to go to hospital. Pulling back my duvet covers I sat up to have a look at my ankle and winced. It wasn't good. It had swollen even more overnight, and I couldn't flex it at all. It looked like I would be going to hospital after all.

Grabbing my crutches from the side of the bed, I hobbled into the kitchen in search of some painkillers and cold and flu tablets. Mum would be up soon, and could check it over then for me, before making the final decision as to whether or not I should go to hospital. Rifling through my cupboards, I wolfed down two ibuprofen and found the ice pack for my ankle. After tending to my injury I switched focus to my growling stomach, grabbing a yoghurt and a glass of orange juice, before sitting down at the kitchen table to eat it. I was really irritable in the morning if I didn't have food- something that my family knew all too well, having been on the receiving end of my temper many a time. I'd just finished my breakfast when my Mum walked into the kitchen; already showered and dressed by 6.45.

"Morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?" I sneezed again.

"Not great. I think my ankle's got worse."

"And you seem to have caught a chill." She indicated to my runny nose, and passed me a tissue from her pocket which I accepted gratefully. "Let's have a look then." She unwrapped the ice pack carefully and inspected my ankle, letting out a shallow gasp as it came into view. "Yes, this definitely needs to be x-rayed, Alexis."

"Really?" I groaned. All I wanted to do was go back to bed.

"Most definitely. You're not budging me on this one." She was right, I knew from past experience that when my Mum made her mind up about something she always followed through, no matter what anyone else thought.

"Okay, Mum." I agreed, yawning. I stood up using my crutches to help me. "I'll go and have a shower, and then I'll be ready to come with you."

"Perfect. If we get there before my shift starts I'll have time to analyse your x-rays myself. It'll be much quicker than having to wait in the queue to see someone, and I'd much prefer it if I looked over it rather than anyone else." Now that sounded like a plan. I was more than happy to go to A&amp;E if my mother was in charge of my x-rays, and I was out as soon as possible.

"That would be great, Mum. I'll be as quick as I can."

"Okay, love. I'm going to take Monty on a quick walk. Also, I was thinking; how about your Dad and I look after Monty for a few days? You won't be able to take him on walks with your ankle, so how about we take him while you recover? He can run around in the garden while we're at work." That did sound like a good plan. I hadn't really thought about how I was going to look after Monty and walk him when I couldn't walk myself. Monty absolutely loved Mum and Dad- he adored going over to their house as they had a massive garden for him to play in. Not to mention the fact that they'd had a 'dog flap' installed especially for him, so he could come and go as he pleased. He was so spoilt at their house, that it was a wonder he didn't refuse to come home with me. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he'd already asked Jack to relay such a message to me and my parents.

"Are you sure Mum? I know you and Dad are busy- I can put him in the kennels for a couple of days if need be." I didn't want to send him to the kennels, but it seemed kinder than him being confined to the flat whilst I recovered, and I didn't want to put upon my parents when they were already so busy.

"Don't be ridiculous, Alexis. You know your father and I love him. Besides, I don't trust the kennels around here. Your father's at home today as he's been in surgery all week, so Monty will have company today. I've already rang him to ask, and he agrees."

"Thanks Mum. You're honestly the best; I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I know, sweetheart, I know." She said with a laugh. "Now you get in the shower, Missy! The sooner we're on the road the better." I mock saluted her, and turned to the bathroom, only detouring to go to my room and send Will a text, informing him of the morning's events. I didn't wait to receive a reply, instead heading to the shower to get ready. I emerged five minutes later, wrapped up in my dressing gown. Pulling on the nearest clothes I could find I dried my hair quickly, and headed into the lounge, snagging my phone as I went. Unlocking it, I saw I had a text from Will saying he'd collect me when I was done and to let me know how things were progressing. I texted back, promising that I would. Sliding it back into my pocket I took a seat on the sofa and waited for Mum to come back from her walk with Monty. She came back with a very lively puppy ten minutes later, still dressed in her scrubs.

"Good. You're ready. I've already loaded Monty's bed into the car as we don't have one at home, but I think we've already got the other stuff he'll need." I nodded.

"Thanks Mum."

"Right, let's head off then; it'll take you a while to negotiate the stairs. Why they still haven't managed to fix that lift is beyond me!

"I know, Mum. It's ridiculous- I've already written to them to complain."

We began our descent down to the ground floor- Monty trotted happily down the stairs with mum, whilst I hobbled down awkwardly on my crutches. I contemplated sliding down on my bum, but didn't want to appear too childish in front of the neighbours. Besides, I didn't need to give them any more reason to gossip; the rumour mill would already be whirling after they all saw how a topless Will carried me home. Climbing into Mum's car a good five minutes later we set off to their house. It was only a fifteen minute drive away, so it wasn't long before we pulled into the familiar gravelled driveway. Right on cue, Dad wandered out from the garden, despite it being half past seven in the morning. Any sane person would not be up at this hour on their day off. Mum got out of the car to greet him, and let Monty out of the boot as she did- taking his bed out with her too. He walked over to meet her, wrapping her in his arms, and kissing her soundly. I looked away. I'd never quite got used to their public displays of affection, and there were some things that a daughter never wanted to see; her parents playing tonsil tennis being one of them. Eventually, they came up for air, finally remembering that I was in the car.

"Alexis!" My Dad cried, opening the passenger door, and enveloping me in a hug. "It's so good to see you. I'm sorry I haven't been able to pop over- I've been rushed off my feet at the hospital. There's been a few nasty trauma incidents, and I haven't had a day off since you left for Paris. Anyway, that's enough whinging from me. How are you?"

"Aside from mentally scarred by you two?" I asked with a wink. He nudged me playfully and I laughed.

"Yes, apart from being mentally scarred from your mother and I." He looked back at her fondly as she led Monty into the house.

"I'm good Dad." I was suddenly hit by a series of sneezes.

"Bless you."

"Thanks."

"So you're good, apart from the cold and bad ankle. Your mother filled me in when she dropped by for her clothes last night. You must be more careful, Alexis." I nodded.

"I will, Dad. I promise." He nodded approvingly.

"How are you doing really, though, Alexis?" He squatted so he was eye level with me. "Just between us two- I won't tell your mother. You okay? I know the convention must have been hard, but you mustn't give up hope-" I cut him off. I didn't want to have to keep lying to my family about the convention.

"Dad, I'm fine, honest. Don't worry about me." He didn't look convinced, but our conversation was cut short by Mum returning from the house Montyless.

"Okay, sweetheart, if you say so. I'm always here, though. Remember that, won't you?"

"I will, Dad." He pulled me into another hug, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too." I mumbled back into his shirt, before letting him go, so he could stand up once more. Mum came over to join us as I did so.

"You okay you two?"

"Yeah." We echoed; in sync with one another.

"Right. We'd best get off, Brian. I want to get Alexis looked at before my shift starts." She walked over to the driver's side of the car and settled herself in the seat.

"Right, I'd best go and see where the little tyke's got to. He'd best not be jumping around in my begonias again!" I laughed, remembering all too well how Monty had almost destroyed Dad's flower beds the last time he'd paid them a visit. Dad's garden was his pride and joy, and he spent as much time in it as possible. It was primarily due to his gift, I figured- he was able to manipulate nature- making plants grow as he wished, coaxing them out into the sunlight, and attentively tending to their needs. The garden always looked beautiful as a result, something Monty seemed hellbent on changing.

"You know what he's like, Dad. The begonias may well be in mortal danger!"

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" He shut the car door, and tapped on my window. "Stay safe, you two, and let me know what's happening."

"Will do." He nodded, and waved us off as we pulled out of the drive. Hopefully Monty hadn't inflicted too much damage during our conversation.

XXX

An hour later and I was sat in the waiting room of the A&amp;E department for Mum to get back to me about my X-ray. She'd managed to get the radiologist to squeeze me in during his break, and was off consulting with another doctor about my results. I absolutely detested hospitals; the smell, the people, the noise. I'd already had to hold a sick bucket for a woman coughing up blood, whilst listening to her tell me about her ex-boyfriend. Thankfully, my phone rang whilst she was telling me about her latest conquest, giving me a reprieve from the conversation. Awkwardly, I managed to extract my phone, whilst still keeping a grasp of the cardboard container.

"Hello?" I hadn't managed to check the caller ID in my haste to answer.

"Hey, it's Will. I was just ringing to see how you were getting on. Have you had an x-ray yet?"

"Oh, hi. Yeah, I had my x-ray about half an hour ago. Mum's just gone to chat with another doctor about the results, but I think their initial reaction is that it's not a break."

"Well, that's good, then. When do you think you'll be done then, providing there's nothing else they can do for you?" I looked at the clock. It was creeping towards nine.

"About half an hour I'd guess. Mum said she wouldn't be long. Are you sure you want to come and get me, though? You don't have to- I mean, I'll be fine getting a taxi."

"Alexis, we had this conversation. I'll set off from my hotel now. You're at the Royal, right?"

"Yes, but how do you know?" I hadn't told him which hospital I was at, and there were more hospitals in Derby than the Royal, so it was more than a lucky punt.

"We're soulfinders, Alexis. How do you think I found you on the mountain?" I'd forgotten about that. Now that he mentioned it, at the back of my mind, subconsciously, I could feel my connection to him- a constant reminder of our bond. It hummed reassuringly at me, reminding me of his presence and proximity.

"Sorry, I forgot."

"Right, I'll see you soon. Wait for me inside and I'll come and find you."

"Okay. And Will.."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. Thanks for everything." I said as I put the phone down, sliding it back into my pocket and returning my attention back to the woman beside me. Thankfully, she only had time to tell me about her most recent ex-boyfriend, who it turned out, had actually been married, as Mum rounded the corner moments later, x-rays in hand. Giving her back the bowl I'd been holding for her, I quickly hobbled over to Mum to hear my results- I couldn't get away fast enough. Her tale of boyfriend number 233 would forever remain a mystery, it seemed. Mum shepherded me over to a secluded area of the corridor away from prying ears, before she delivered her diagnosis.

"Good news, Alexis. It's not a break- it's just a very bad sprain." She showed me the x-rays to back up her point. "You've just got to keep icing it, and then gradually start to put pressure on it. You should be able to walk on it in a couple of days, but you won't be able to do anything more on it for at least a week, if not more. You know the drill by now, mind. Call me if you need anything, okay? And if you want, you're welcome to stay at our house while you recover. It might be easier to have me and your dad looking after you. "

"Thanks, Mum. I'll let you know how I'm getting on, but I think I'll be fine." She smiled.

"Any time sweetheart, anytime. Now, how are you going to get home? I'm not free until my lunch break, but I was thinking we could call your father and he could give you a lift home. Taxis are far too expensive, and I don't want you to have to sit around in here waiting."

"Mum, it's fine. My friend's coming to pick me up."

"Who, Rachel?"

"No." I blushed. "Another friend."

"Is this the same friend that helped you yesterday?" I nodded, squirming under her gaze. "He's very good to you, this 'friend'."

"Yeah, he's great." I managed to get out, still concentrating hard on the spot of dirt by my feet. She mmm'd in approval. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Will had texted me.

_**Just parked. Walking towards the main entrance now. I'll come and find you.**_

**Stay there. I'll meet you by the main entrance. Give me five minutes- they won't let you through to where I am**.

**Okay.** I looked up to see my Mother looking at me fondly as I put my phone back.

"It's lovely to see you so loved up, sweetheart. I look forward to meeting him- I want to see who's making you so happy; he's already got my seal of approval." I blushed profusely in response, not sure quite what to say to that. Denying it, even though she was wrong, would just further convince her that she was right. Which she wasn't. She definitely wasn't. "Anyway, I'd best be off. I'm officially on shift now. Speak to you soon, sweetheart." She pulled me into a hug. "Call me if you need me."

"I will do. Thanks, Mum. I love you."

"I love you too. Now go find your boyfriend." I tried to splutter out a coherent response, but instead all that came out was garbled mush. Mum laughed at that, turning back down the corridor to head to work. "See you soon, sweetheart. Give him a kiss from me."

**Please leave a review! Look out for an update on Sunday at the latest- I may update another chapter before Sunday if I have time! Please review- more reviews mean quicker updates. Promise! Hugs! x**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi guys! Thanks for the reviews- you guys are so lovely! This one's for you! Also, apologies it's going up so late- it took longer to write than I expected!**

**Also, if you want to read this story in Will's POV, make sure to check it out on my profile as I've now published it as a story in its own right. I'm half way through writing chapter four at the minute, but I don't want to upload it until I've got to a certain point in CA, as I want to get on track with CA, and not give anything away! **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please leave a review**!

24:

Suitably embarrassed, and still bright red from my conversation with Mum, I slowly made my way towards the hospital's main entrance. The corridors were crowded with people, which impeded my already slow progress. Crutches, twinned with my total lack of direction, meant that it took me another ten minutes to find the exit. I swear, the architect had used a labyrinth as a blueprint for the building- it was nigh on impossible to leave!

Walking through the main foyer towards the main doors I glanced around for Will- it was hard to miss the over six foot American, with a booming voice. Still, I couldn't spot him anywhere. Maybe I had the wrong entrance- it seemed plausible, especially considering my lack of direction. I went to reach for my phone to give him a ring, but I was interrupted before I had the chance.

"Alexis?" I turned to see my Mum's friend, and fellow doctor, Andrea. They'd met when they started working at the hospital nearly thirty years ago, and had been firm friends ever since.

"Andrea, hi!" She pulled me into a hug, but was mindful of my crutches.

"Netball again, I'm guessing?" She asked with a grin, glancing down at my ankle. Her and Mum loved to gossip, so she was fully aware of my tendency of injuring myself.

"Not, not this time actually. I sprained it when I was hiking yesterday."

"Oh Alexis, you poor dear! You weren't on your own were you?"

"Yeah, just me. I'm okay, though- it won't happen again." I replied wryly.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that! You know, Alexis, if you do want a hiking partner Teddy would be more than happy to come with you; he just loves the outdoors." I schooled my face into a polite mask of gratitude. Teddy, formally known as Edward, was Andrea's son, and she and my mother had been intent on setting us up before we could talk. Teddy was the same age as my brother, Jack, and was an engineer, something my mother never stopped harping on about.

"Oh, it's-" I opened my mouth to politely decline her attempts at setting me up. Robert and I were nothing more than friends, something neither of our mothers seemed able to accept.

"Hey babe! I was just looking for you." I turned towards the voice to see Will striding towards me, completely unperturbed by the fact that everyone in the lobby seemed to be listening in to our exchange. "Sorry, I had to go to the restroom, I was just about to ring you." He paused, as he reached us, only now realising that I was in the middle of a conversation before he interrupted. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realise you were talking." He stood next to me, sliding his arm around my waist, and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I smiled up at him.

"It's okay, I meant to ring you anyways." I turned my attention back to Andrea, whose jaw seemed to be resting on the floor as she took him in. "Will, this is my Mum's friend Andrea. Andrea, this is Will. He's my…" I paused. I didn't quite know what Will was to me. He wasn't my boyfriend- definitely not! But 'friend' didn't seem to accurately sum up our relationship.

"Boyfriend" Will jumped in, sensing my hesitation. Oh God, why had he said that? I knew Andrea wouldn't be able to keep such untrue information to herself, and it would only be a matter of time before she blabbed to Mum. "Will Benedict, m'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." He extended the hand that wasn't wrapped around me for her to shake. She accepted it.

"Andrea Turner. It's lovely to meet you, Will. Anyway, I'd best leave you two to it. I'm due on shift in-" She glanced down at her watch. "Five minutes ago." Her pager bleeped at the admission, and she silenced it quickly. "That's my cue, guys- sorry, I've got to take this. I hope to see you again soon, Will. Get well soon, Alexis- take care." She gave me a quick hug, before dashing off.

"She seemed nice."

"She is. Her and my Mum have been friends for years. She's always trying to set me up with her son, but I think you've put an end to that idea." He grinned happily, puffing out his chest. I slapped his chest lightly. "Honestly, you are incorrigible! And not my boyfriend."

"Not yet, maybe, but I will be- you can be sure of that." I rolled my eyes. The boy had more confidence than Kanye.

"We'll see about that." I muttered, as he took my bag from me to carry, and led me out of the hospital.

"Come on, it's this way. I'm parked in the short stay car park. It's not too far, but you can wait here and I'll bring the car round if you want."

"It's fine, Will. I can walk, but thanks." He nodded.

"So not a break, then?" He asked as we exited the main doors, veering to the left towards the car park.

"No, just a bad sprain. I've got to keep icing it, and dose up on ibuprofen to bring the swelling down. I should be off the crutches in a few days." He'd slowed down his pace dramatically so I could keep up with him on my sticks. Never again would I take walking for granted.

"Well that's good then- it could have been much worse. Have you got everything you need at home? I mean, enough meds for the week?" Thinking back to this morning, I remembered that I hadn't had many ibuprofen left. I'd made a mental note to ask Mum if she could take me to the shops to get some, but I'd forgotten to ask.

"Now that you mention it, I could do with some ibuprofen. And I guess another ice pack would come in handy- I could alternate between them if I had two." I stepped carefully down the curb, and into the car park.

"Okay, well why don't we go to nearest drug store and get some? I'm not working this morning, so I thought, if you fancied, we could go out for lunch? I don't know which restaurants are good, mind, so you'd have to direct me. That is, if your dog's okay to be left for so long? I thought I could take him on a walk for you if you wanted- I'm guessing you won't be able to take him very far." He looked at me nervously, scared of my reaction.

"That sounds lovely, Will. There's a shopping centre not far from here. It's got a Boots that I could get tablets from, and there's a food court. We don't have to worry about Monty, though. He's staying with my parents while I recover, but it's very kind of you to offer." He beamed at me, ecstatic that I hadn't downright refused. How could I though? He was a sweetheart, even I couldn't like that. "Thinking about it, there's a cinema there as well. We're a bit early for lunch, so we could go and see a film, and then go for lunch if that sounds okay?" He smiled broadly as we wove through the maze of parked cars.

"Sounds good to me." I stopped for a moment for a rest. The handles of the crutches were digging into my palms, and my arms ached from holding my weight. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Sorry, I just needed a break. I'll be fine in a minute."

"You sure? It's not much further, the car's just at the end of this row. Actually, wait here, I'll bring it round." And with that, he dashed off, jogging through the cars with my handbag still balanced on his shoulder, soon disappearing from sight. I waited for a minute to give my arms a break, before beginning to walk in Will's direction once more. I made it to the end of the aisle, but there was still no sight of him. I was just about to get my phone out to ring him and see where he'd got to when an Aston Martin pulled up beside me, and Will got out of it.

"Sorry, babe. It took me longer than I thought to find it. Come on, I'll help you get it." He walked around to my side and opened my door for me.

"This is your car?" I asked in shock. It was absolutely gorgeous- the crème de la crème of the car world. I ran my hand over the glossy paintwork, awed.

"Well, it's not mine technically, I've rented it for while I'm over here. I have a thing for fast cars; it's one of my many vices I'm afraid." He took my crutches from me, and helped me lower myself into the seat. "Okay?" He asked when I was settled in. I nodded, too enamoured by the plush interior to do anything more than nod. He lay my crutches on the back seat, and slid back into the driver's seat, turning on the engine, and expertly manoeuvring us out of the car park. "Right, Alexis, you're gonna have to direct me from here. I've no clue where I'm going."

"Sure" I replied, struggling to divert my attention away from the car and back to him. It took us about half an hour, with my directions, to make what should have been a fifteen minute journey to the shopping centre. Will parked as close to the entrance as he could , and we began to walk to Boots, him still carrying my handbag for me.

"I mean, who names a drugstore 'Boots', anyway? Surely it should be a shoe shop if anything. I mean, you don't name a car dealership 'Toys R Us'" I laughed, he had a point.

"Maybe you can ask one of the cashiers when we get in there. I think next time I'll introduce you to 'Superdrug'. At least it's appropriately named."

"At last: a sensible shop name! Hallelujah!" He clapped his hands together as if he were in prayer. Entering the aforementioned 'Boots', I managed to pick up what I was looking for- a couple of new ice packs, an ice spray, and a load of cheap ibuprofen tablets. Will followed dutifully with the basket. We headed to the checkouts a couple of minutes later- it hadn't taken long for me to gather what I needed. From the corner of my eye I saw Will pull out his wallet. I stopped.

"Will, you're not paying."

"I am. I've got the basket." He replied with a grin.

"No, it's my stuff, I insist." He shook his head at me again, dancing past me towards the tills. Okay, it was time to play dirty.

"Wait, Will." He turned to look at me.

"I haven't got everything yet. I need to get some-" I beckoned him forward, and stage whispered at him "tampons." His face seemed to lose all colour within a matter of seconds.

"Ahh.. Right.. Yep.. Okay then." I passed a crutch over to him, and took the basket with my bag in it from him. My ankle wasn't feeling too bad, so I was pretty sure I could manage with just one stick for a few minutes. "I'll be back soon, it shouldn't take long. Why don't you go and look at the magazines for a second?"

"Yeah, okay. See you in a minute." He said, before scurrying off towards the magazine rack. I laughed to myself- he'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker. My Dad was the same whenever we used to go shopping together. He'd tentatively ask if I needed any 'womanly products', before scurrying off to the next aisle whilst I browsed, bumping into me again when I'd found what I wanted. As a teen, it was a source of great entertainment. It was even better when both Alice and I needed stuff; Dad really didn't know what to do with himself then. I waited until Will was engrossed in the magazines before I crept to the self-service till. Stealthily I managed to pay for my products and bag them up, before I headed back to find Will.

"Done" I said as I approached. He turned, returning the 'OK!' magazine he'd been reading to its rightful place.

"Good. We can go and pay now." I held up my bag of purchases.

"It's okay, I've done it."

"But I said I'd pay!" I shrugged.

"You snooze, you lose." I replied with a wink. He took the bag from me, and handed me back my crutch. I accepted it gratefully, slipping my arm through the holder, allowing some of the weight off my ankle. I looked up to see Will peeking into the bag.

"Hey, you didn't even buy any! That was dirty, Alexis! You little sneak!" I shrugged again, totally unashamed. "I'm onto your tricks now, you won't get me like that again!" We started to walk towards the exit.

"It was my stuff, so I should pay. You're not a glorified sugar Daddy, Will. I wouldn't take advantage of you like that."

"It's not taking advantage, Alexis. I want to. You can take advantage of me in other ways, though. I definitely wouldn't mind that." He said slyly, wiggling his hips for emphasis. I whacked him lightly on the bum with my crutch, and he feigned injury.

"Come on, you. The cinema's this way." I said, pointing right with my crutch.

"Right you are, m'am. I'm paying this time!"

"We'll see!" I replied in singsong. He wasn't- he definitely wasn't.

We ended up compromising on the payment front. I paid for our cinema tickets, and Will paid for lunch. I'd rather have split the bill, but Will insisted- threatening that he'd run off with purse if I refused.

The film was good; it was a science fiction action type that we picked because I hated the horror films Will claimed he loved, and Will wasn't a fan of cheesy rom-coms I loved. Mind, what guy was?. 'Lucy', our film of choice, turned out to be a happy medium. There was enough action in it to entertain Will, and not enough gore to make me feel queasy. Afterwards, I took Will for his first ever Nando's and, judging by his reaction, it definitely wouldn't be the last. Nando's had suddenly gained a very loyal customer.

By the time Will drove me home it was nearly half two. He pulled up outside my flat, and helped me tackle the stairs. We stood awkwardly by the door; not sure quite what to say to one another. I broke the silence first.

"Thank you for today.. for everything. You've been wonderful." He blushed at the compliment.

"Anytime, anytime. Although, you have to let me pay next time."

"Sorry, I can't promise that." I replied with a wry grin. "Do you want to come in for a cup of tea or something?" I asked.

"I'd love to, but I can't. My PA's been messaging me all morning- there's something wrong at the office, and I need to log in and check it out."

"Will, you should have said! I could have gotten someone else to come get me!"

"You're more important than work. Work will wait, you won't." I didn't have a response to that. "You okay if I come over and see you again tomorrow? I mean, I don't want to interrupt if you've got plans or anything, but-" I reached up and pressed my fingers against his lips to stop him from talking.

"That would be lovely, but don't feel like you have to." He smiled happily.

"No, I want to- never doubt that." I smiled at him, and leant up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Will. I'll see you tomorrow then. Text me, yeah." He seemed lost for words.

"Yeah, will do. Text me if you need, okay."

"Okay" I promised, stepping over the threshold, and peering through my open door to look at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" He asked anxiously.

"I'll see you then." He grinned. "Okay. I'll see you then then."

"Yep" He stood awkwardly, not quite sure what to do with himself. "Bye then." He said at last, turning back down the hall with a wave.

"Bye" I shouted back, watching his retreating figure. Once he disappeared from view, I shut my front door and locked it, trying to ignore the fuzzy feeling in my chest. We were nothing more than friends. We never would be. Well, that's what I had to keep telling myself.

**Please leave a review, guys- I hope you liked it! I'll update the next chapter if I hit 168 reviews! Otherwise, my next update will be on Sunday! Hugs x**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for all your reviews! Hugs! x**

**Sorry guys; I had a bit of a nightmare updating this one. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I've been merging some of my earlier chapters together (there are now 19 chapters, instead of 24, although the content's still all there.) Anyway, because I'm useless with technology, I managed to delete a chapter completely when I meant to delete one that I'd already merged and didn't need again, so I had to put it up again, which is why it's coming up as though I updated when I haven't. Apologies for that- I've been trying to find out which chapter I deleted and how I could get it back as it wasn't in my Document folder on FF as it was one of my earliest chapters. Anyway, I found it on my laptop eventually, and it's done now. So, lesson learnt- don't accidentally delete chapters! And, in all honesty, don't bother merging chapters- it's such a faff! Please let me know if you prefer the new, longer chapters, or like shorter ones. (I don't think I can be bothered to swap it back to how it was, but if you prefer the old style, then I won't do any more merging [or accidental deleting] in the future). Also, please let me know if you think a chapter is missing! I think I'm sorted now, but after that debacle I wouldn't put it past me to have uploaded the same chapter twice, or something equally as stupid! Thanks! x**

**Anyway, here's my next chapter. I hope you like it! Please leave a review! And again, apologies for my technical incompetence!**

I spent the rest of the afternoon in a marking frenzy. I still had a fair bit left to do, but I was well over two thirds done with it by the end of the afternoon. I seemed to get a lot more done when Monty wasn't here distracting me. Getting up, I swapped my ice packs over, putting the one I bought this afternoon on my ankle, before flopping back down on the sofa and turning on Netflix. This was probably a very bad idea; when I next looked up at the clock, the rest of the afternoon had passed me by and all I had to show for it was the fact that I'd managed to watch the first five episodes of 'Breaking Bad'. It was now about six, usually about the time I started to make my tea, but today I wasn't all that hungry. The Nando's had really filled me up, but, more to the point, I couldn't be bothered to make tea either- it was enough effort when I was able-bodied. I really couldn't face hobbling around on crutches- just going to the bathroom seemed to take a ridiculous amount of energy. Grabbing some more ibuprofen, I settled myself back on the sofa, deciding that I might as well try and watch some more of 'Breaking Bad' before bed. I'd marked more than enough spelling and maths tests for one day. I was half way through episode six when the doorbell rang. Damn! And it was just getting to the good part!

"Coming!" I yelled out, grabbing my crutches and making my way to the door to see who it was. I never usually got visitors at this time of night, apart from if it was a neighbour knocking to complain about something, but I hadn't done anything to warrant a complaint. Well, at least, I didn't think I had. The last complaint I'd had was from Mrs Johnson, a rather pretentious woman, who asked me if I could please stop ordering so many parcels, as she could hear my doorbell ringing from her bathroom. It was apparently rather distracting. Thinking about it, I was probably due for another ridiculous complaint, if such a comment could really be classified as a true complaint. I mean, if she'd managed to find fault in my parcel delivery schedule, then she'd almost certainly find fault in a topless Will wandering the corridor with me in his arms. She'd probably threaten me with public indecency. Still, if that was it, I bet the old bint enjoyed the view, even if she wouldn't admit it. I mean, who wouldn't like looking at those abs? Opening the door I prepared myself for a long, drawn out explanation as to just why I was such a horrendous, inconsiderate neighbour. Yet, instead of a lecture I was greeted by a loud cry of "Surprise!". I blinked in shock. Stood outside my door was not Mrs Johnson, but my family: Mum, Dad, Jack, and 'Van all laden down with shopping bags.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, confused. I certainly wasn't expecting them, not that it wasn't a lovely surprise.

"We've come over to make tea for you. Well, we've got enough stuff for us too, but the idea was to make tea for you." Mum said, holding up her bag. "I figured you'd need some food shopping, and then thought we might as well all come over, and have tea together. You don't mind, do you? I mean, you've not got anyone over?" She said, winking rather obviously at me, and craning her head around the door. I rolled my eyes at her antics, and hobbled back, opening the door wide for them to enter.

"There's no one here but me, Mum. Come on in, guys." I said, letting them file through, hugging each of them in turn. It was then that I saw the four legged fiend that I'd missed on my initial assessment of the group. "Monty!" I cried delighted. Dad walked in first, and handed his lead over to me.

"It's a good job he's cute, Alexis. That little tyke completely destroyed my begonias." Monty looked up at me, unapologetically.

"Sorry, Dad. I'm sure Jack can have a word with him for me, can't you Jack?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I can tell him off for you, Lex." I smiled- the perks of having a brother that could talk to animals.

"I'll replace them for you, Dad." I said, but he waved me off.

"I'll be able to fix them, I'm sure. It'll just have to be a Monty-free zone in the future." I laughed.

"That sounds like a good plan, Dad."

"Right, I'll go and put these away." He gestured to the bags of shopping, and moved to the kitchen to put them away. I turned my attention back to the other members of my family. Jack and Savannah were next through the door.

"Hey you two! How are my favourite parents to be? And how was London?" It didn't escape my notice that Jack had refused to let Savannah carry more than one bag, whilst he was holding three. In either hand.

"Good, thanks." Jack said. "Hang on, I'll go and put these away with Dad, and 'Van can fill you in."

"It was so good, Alexis! You have to come with us next time- we had so much fun!"

"I'm counting on that 'Van! Come in, put your feet up and I'll put a brew on."

"No, you won't, Alexis. Not with that ankle. I'll have a look over it in a bit. Me and your Mum thought that it might be best to double check, even though the x-ray was pretty conclusive." Another benefit of Savannah being a savant was that with her power, she could 'see' what was wrong with someone. It was why she was such a good vet.

"Okay, thanks 'Van." She smiled, and headed off to the kitchen.

Mum was the last one through the door. She'd deliberately hung back, and I knew exactly why. "No, he's definitely not here, Mum." Here face fell comically.

"Definitely not?" I shook my head. "I can't believe that Andrea met him before I did! She said he was very handsome, American, and was called Will. Is that right?" I knew Andrea wouldn't be able to keep that information to herself for very long!

"Yeah, Will lives in Denver."

"But he's not in Denver now?"

"No, he's staying in England for a while." I didn't elaborate on just why he was so intent on staying in Derby- it wasn't exactly the most beautiful place in the country.

"And he's very handsome?" I blushed. Handsome did not do him justice.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"And he's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"But Andrea said that he said he was your boyfriend. Was he lying? Is he pressuring you into something, because I'll go and sort him out if he is!"

"Mum, relax! Look, it's complicated. And no, to answer your question, he's not forcing me into anything- he's too much of a gentlemen. You can meet him when I'm ready and not before, okay?" She nodded, practically vibrating with excitement.

"I can't wait, Alexis!" Honestly, she went on like I was going to marry the guy, and she didn't even know he was actually my soulfinder. "Right, now you go and sit down whilst we all sort everything out. I'll send Savannah in to check on you." She shooed me off into the lounge, whilst she joined the others in the kitchen. I leant down and gave Monty a cuddle, before letting him off his lead. I'd missed the little guy, even if I'd only been without him for a few hours. We all re-grouped in the lounge once the shopping was put away. Mum had banned everyone from entering the kitchen while she cooked up some spaghetti bolognese for us all. Savannah checked over my ankle whilst Mum cooked, and affirmed that it was nothing more than a nasty sprain, that needed nothing more than rest. We chatted for a while, enjoying simply catching up with one another, before we sat down for tea. Mum's meal definitely hit the spot- there was no food left on any of the plates.

"So, what did you get up to in London then, you two?" I asked Jack and 'Van.

"Shopping." Groaned Jack. "Lots and lots of shopping. This one-" he tickled 'Van, and she squealed "decided that London was the best place to go baby shopping. We went to all of the baby boutiques in London, and bought enough for a family of nine!"

"Jack, you're exaggerating! We only bought a cot, and a nappy changing table."

"And clothes, and a moses basket, and a car seat, and a rocking horse, and-" She slapped him lightly on the chest.

"We didn't buy that much, Jack! You're exaggerating?" He raised his eyebrow in response to that.

"Do you really want me to go on, sweetheart?" He took a deep breath of air in preparation.

"Okay, maybe we bought a little bit more than we should…" she admitted.

"We? Savannah, love, I think you'll find that you did most of the picking. I simply paid." She grinned up at him.

"That's why I love you."

"It's a good job I love you. We're having to have it all shipped up here- it's costing a fortune. We should have just gone to Ikea." He complained, but we could all tell that he absolutely loved it really.

"But the stuff we've got it so nice."

"I'm sure it's lovely, 'Van." I interrupted, not wanting her to feel upset. "I can't wait to see it. You'll have to let me know when it arrives, and if I'm back to normal I'll help you come and set it all know how useless Jack is when it comes to DIY." 'Van clapped her hands together excitedly, whilst Jack fervently denied my allegation.

"I am not that bad at DIY, Alexis! I'm actually very talented!" I rolled my eyes. "What? I am!"

"Oh please, Jack. You wouldn't know a screwdriver if it hit you in the face. We all know that me and 'Van are best for this job." He looked to our parents for support.

"Now, now, children, let's not fight. But, I do agree with Alexis, Jack. It's probably best to let the girls sort out the furniture. We don't need another trip to A&amp;E." Mum said with a wink, obviously remembering Jack's earlier disastrous attempts at DIY. I sat back in my seat with a grin, gloating silently in my victory. Mum and Dad began to clear the plates away then, taking them to the kitchen and putting them in the dishwasher. I had tried to offer to help, but Mum said I must remain in my seat.

"Oh, Alexis, also, Jack and I were thinking: how about we look after Monty until you're better? We were discussing it on the way here, and we thought maybe he could stay with us while your Mum and Dad are at work. He could stay at the clinic during the day, and get walked with the other dogs that are staying there. It would beat sitting inside all day, and Brian's garden would remain intact."

"That would be great 'Van, thanks. If it's not too much trouble, that is?"

"It's no trouble at all." My brother confirmed, wrapping an arm around Savannah. "It's good training for us, isn't it, babe?" He said, tracing patterns on her now slightly rounded stomach.

"Yep. Honestly, Lex; we like having him. He can stay at the clinic during the day, and come home with us at night. We've already picked up his bed from your Mum and Dad's."

"Well thank you, you two."

"You're welcome. Think of it as payment for coming to build baby furniture with me." I laughed at that.

"It's a done deal!" We sat and chatted for a couple more hours, until it reached nine, and we called it a night. I gave Monty a kiss and a cuddle, before waving my family off, and getting ready for bed. They were the best: I was so blessed to have them.

**Please leave a review! I will update again tomorrow if I hit 180! Hugs x**


	20. Chapter 20

**Wow! 182 review! Woohoo! Thank you so much guys- you are all so lovely! **

**Also, in response to some of your questions… Firstly, I know you all want to see more of Will and Alexis, and that will come, so keep your eyes peeled. This chapter doesn't really allow much for that, but the reasons for that will become clear in my next chapter, which I am really looking forward to writing! Ahh- it's going to be so fun! Eeek! So yeah, this is a bit of a filler to set up for that, but you need to know this information anyway. Also, to the reviewer who thought I was Danish, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm actually English; I've lived here all my life. Where I'm from (which is also somewhere only a few hours from where Alexis is from) we say 'half past', or 'half one'- only rarely do we say 'half past one', although we do recognise that 'half past one' is the 'correct' way of telling the time. I think it's a colloquialism of my area, but I think it may be more widespread, as my friends from elsewhere in the UK say it like this too. We may well have got this tendency for the omission of the 'past' part from Denmark. Who knows? I pretty much write how I talk, as I think it sounds more realistic, so that's why my writing has a lot of contractions, and uses ungrammatical forms like: gonna and gotta. So yeah, prepare yourselves for some other linguistic quirks of mine!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It may not be that interesting, but it's fundamental to the story! Enjoy! And please leave a review! Thanks x**

I'd just changed into my pyjamas, and was ready to crawl into bed when my phone rang.

"Hello" I answered with a barely concealed yawn.

"Hey, Alexis it's me. I was just ringing because I have some bad news, and I'm sorry." I sat up, alert.

"What's wrong, Will?" I asked, concerned.

"Nothing that bad, Lex, don't worry. It's just you know that thing I said my PA was messaging me about, saying it was urgent?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it turns out it really is urgent. Something's gone wrong with one of the program's protecting our files, and I'm having to head to London now to see if I can sort it out, as the tech guys can't work out what's wrong. We've got an office down there, as we were expanding, but if I can't fix it from there then I might have to fly back to head office. So, yeah, I won't be able to see you tomorrow. I'm really sorry, I wouldn't cancel usually, but this is really bad, I don't know if we've been hacked and-"

"Will, it's fine, honest. I understand."

"But it's not fine; I didn't come here on the pretence of spending time with you to then be constantly wrapped up in work, and unable to see you." He sighed, obviously aggravated by the situation. I didn't quite know what to say.

"Will, I'm still gonna be here when you get back. It won't be for long anyway, and I'm not exactly much fun on crutches, let's be honest; I can't hobble further than a few hundred metres before I'm practically winded." He laughed at that.

"Winded or not, I still want to spend time with you. It's just so frustrating, I mean we've not had a problem this big since I set up the company."

"You have spent time with me, Will. I'm not going to forget about you just because you're gone for a while. I mean, maybe I could even come and visit you sometime? I mean, if you have to go home for work." Shit! Where the hell had that come from? Go and visit him? We weren't even together! And how could I manage to afford return flights to America- Paris had been out of my budget. I facepalmed, trying to knock some sense into myself- I was coming down with a serious case of word vomit.

"Really?" He asked, chirpily. Shit, now I'd given him false hope.

"Yeah, sure." I answered, not wanting to let him down when he was already upset.

"That sounds good, babe. I'd love to show you round the Rockies."

"My own personal tour guide."

"You bet! I'm the best there is!" Of course he'd say that, he was Will Benedict; what else would he say?

"I'm holding you to that. I'm expecting a flawless tour."

"You won't be disappointed, I promise. Shit, I've gotta go, babe- I've got to speak to the hotel manager about checking out, and I'm at the front of the queue now. I'll call you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Sweetheart."

"Night." I managed to get out before the phone went dead. I rested it back on the bedside cabinet, and slid under the covers. I couldn't deny that I was disappointed Will wouldn't be available to see me- I enjoyed his company far more than I let on. Still thinking about him, I fell asleep soon after, exhausted after the day's events.

XXX

I spent most of Tuesday marking, managing to finally get it all done. It was a massive weight off my shoulders, and it meant that I could finally focus on creating my lesson plans for the upcoming term since the Easter holidays were coming to a close. I like to get ahead with them as it meant that I wasn't as stressed and busy during term time; I'd learnt that lesson the hard way.

Will called in the morning, as promised, and we chatted for a good twenty minutes. He'd managed to drive to London overnight, and had gone straight to the office as soon as he arrived to look at what was wrong. He seemed to think that he'd be able to fix it from the UK, but wasn't totally sure. Since he'd worked through the night he was half asleep when he phoned, and off for a well deserved nap before he looked at it again. I promised to call him that evening, but only if he got a decent night's sleep- I didn't want him to get run down.

My ankle had improved overnight too- I now only needed one crutch, and had increased flexibility in the joint. Hopefully it would only be a matter of time before I was back on my feet for real.

It was about six, and I was just settling down to watch the next episode of 'Breaking Bad' when my phone rang. I answered it, expecting it to be Will ringing again like he promised.

"Hey, Will. How's it going?" I asked, hoping he'd managed to make some headway with the technical issues he was looking at.

"Alexis Anderson, does your best friend mean nothing to you now that you've got a boyfriend?" The voice on the other end of the line answered, cheekily.

"Rach, he's not my boyfriend.. He's just my friend, honest."

"Yeah sure, Alexis; because everyone answers the phone expecting it to be their non-boyfriend boyfriend." I really needed to start looking at my caller ID before I answered the phone- incidents like this were becoming far too frequent. I tactfully ignored her comment, knowing there was nothing I could say to her that could refute her claims.

"So what's up, Rach?"

"I see, I see, changing the subject are we, Lex? Don't worry, I'll get it out of you . Oh, yeah, I was ringing to check you were okay if I did lifts to netball this week? I'll pick you up at half past" Rach and I alternated with lifts to training and matches, as it made it fairer.

"Actually, I can't train this week, Rach. And I don't think I'll be able to play in the match on Saturday either, as I've sprained my ankle again. I'm on crutches at the minute, but I'm getting better. Mum thinks I'll be walking again by the end of the week."

"Oh my God, Alexis! When? How? Are you okay? You should have told me and I would have come round to help!"

"I'm fine Rach, honest. I was out walking in the Peaks on Sunday, and Monty ran off. Then, when I tried to catch him my foot went in a divot in the mud, and I fell awkwardly. It's just my luck, really."

"Oh gosh, Alexis! That must have been awful! Is Monty okay?"

"Yeah, Monty's fine. Will managed to get him before he'd gone too far." Shit. Word vomit, word vomit! I was trying to avoid the Will topic, not bring it up!

"Oh, so you were out for a romantic walk with your non-boyfriend boyfriend when it happened?" I sighed.

"No, not exactly- he didn't come with me. I was chasing Monty, then I fell and couldn't walk, and he found me and helped me down."

"Wait, he found you? Did you ring him to come and get you or something? Why didn't you ring me?"

"Rach, you were in Venice. I know you would have come running, but there wouldn't have been much you could do. And no, my phone was dead, so I couldn't ring anyone. He just.. found me"

"Okay, fair enough, I may not have been of much use in that situation. Wait, he just 'found you'? Come on, Alexis, you can't expect me to believe that. How could he have just found you in the Peaks- it's massive!"

"Honestly, Rach, he did. I thought I was going to die, and then he was just.. there." Rach didn't know about savants, so I couldn't really give her a better explanation.

"Alexis, that is some freaky shit. It's like a modern day miracle or something! Did you ask him how he managed to find you?" I had indeed, but I couldn't tell her the exact story.

"He said he just 'knew' where to find me. I don't know quite how myself." Well, I did, but I couldn't tell her that.

"Hmmm. So then what happened?"

"Um, he carried me down, and looked after me when we got home until I warmed up."

"He carried you down a mountain? This is like every cheesy romance novel I've ever read brought to life!" I blushed at that

"I think your fiancé taking you to Venice is really what classifies as a romance book brought to life! How was it?" I asked, referring to the surprise long weekend that Rach's fiancé, Dan, had booked for the two of them.

"Oh Lex, it was absolutely gorgeous! It was so romantic- the gondolas, the scenery. I mean, seriously, you have to go! Wait, maybe you and Will could go together for a romantic getaway! Oh, wait, no, I forgot; he's not your boyfriend. He's just your friend that carries you down a mountain in the rain and brings you home." She deadpanned.

"We'll see." I hedged, not wanting to confirm or deny her suspicions. She hummed down the line in response.

"Oh, and make sure you text Hannah." Hannah was the captain of our team. If we had a netball-related problem we had to let her know first. "She'll need to find a sub for Saturday if you can't play."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I'll text her to let her know now. I'll still come and watch, though. If I'm able to drive I'll come and pick you up."

"Okay, cool. I'll see you Saturday. Take care, Lex, ring me if you need me."

"I will, don't worry. See you soon, Rach." I said, as I cut the line. I texted Hannah soon after, informing her of my injury, and that I wouldn't be at training, or able to play in our match on Sunday. I sat watching another episode of 'Breaking Bad' before she replied, telling me to 'get well soon', and saying she'd sort out a substitute.

Will rang about half an hour later. He sounded exhausted. He'd spent all afternoon looking over his systems for a glitch, but so far he'd come up blank. I didn't talk to him for very long as I knew he was eager to get back to the problem at hand, and I didn't want to waste his time. He still seemed pleased to talk to me, though, and I enjoyed getting to know him a little better. It still wasn't the same as talking in person, but we had to make do.

By Thursday I was able to walk unaided, having rested and iced my ankle really well on Wednesday. The only upside to being injured was that I actually got my work done as I couldn't get up and get distracted. My ankle felt much better, although it still twinged a bit now and then. As a result, I was able to drive over and collect Monty from Savannah and Jack. Their house was overrun with flat-pack baby furniture when I arrived, and I spent most of my Thursday evening helping Savannah to set it all up. The pieces she'd picked were absolutely gorgeous- my niece or nephew was going to be absolutely spoilt.

Before I knew it, it was Friday- and I only had three more days of holiday left before the summer term began; it had gone so fast! Friday also brought news from Sam. He and his soulfinder, Elinor, were coming down from Edinburgh this weekend, so he could introduce her to his family. I was thrilled for him- he deserved a happy ending. I arranged to meet them both on Sunday evening at Sam's house to find out what had gone on between them, as Sam said he wanted to explain in person.

I was in the middle of my morning walk with Monty when my netball captain, Hannah, rang.

"Hey, Hannah. What's up?"

"Hey, Alexis- I was just ringing to double check you definitely can't play tomorrow. It's just, our usual sub, Clare, has just found out she's pregnant, so she can't play, and everyone else is busy! I wouldn't ask if it wasn't urgent- it's just this is our biggest match of the season so far. We won't get promotion if we have to forfeit the match against Ashbourne because we don't have seven players!" I sighed, I knew how important this match was, and how hard we'd worked this season to get to the top of the table. I wasn't going to let promotion slip from our grasp, especially just because we couldn't find an extra player.

"I know, Han, I know. Is there really no one else?" I asked. My ankle had improved, but it still wasn't ready to run around a court for an hour at my usual position of centre.

"Lex, I have rang everyone I know that knows something about netball. Heck, I even asked my Mum to play for us, but she's visiting my brother. Look, I won't put you at centre or anything; I'll put Rach there, I'll drop to wing for her, Grace can go to GA, and I'll put you as shooter. You wouldn't even have to move much- as long as you just stood there we'd be able to play- we'd have seven! The league will let us play as long as we have seven players on court" I considered her proposal. I mean, how much damage could standing on a court for an hour, only pretending to play do to my ankle? Besides, I already had ankle supports that I wore when I played. It wasn't like I could injure myself anymore than I already had.

"Okay, Hannah. I'll do it. But only GS or GK- I really don't think I can handle much more without injuring myself." She squealed in delight.

"Alexis, you are a lifesaver. I owe you, so much! Perfect! I'll see at the courts on Saturday- 11 o'clock kickoff, so be there for half ten for the warm up."

I promised her that I'd see her there on Saturday, and hung up, already slightly regretting my decision. My Mum was going to kill me. And Rach. And Will. Shit. Why did I always get myself into these situations?

**So who wants to know what happened with Sam and Elinor; how could I forget about them? I won't be able to update for a couple of days, as I'm busy, but I'm going to try to update before Friday (if you guys want that?) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed; please leave a review- you guys genuinely make my day with your comments! Hugs x**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you to Signe for reviewing! Please don't worry- I was not at all offended by your comment, honest; I just wanted to explain why I write like I do.**

I woke at eight on Saturday to take Monty for a walk before I took him with me to netball. He was our unofficial team mascot, but needed a walk beforehand in order to expend some of his energy. Previous experience, had shown that a non-exercised Monty did not make for a dutiful canine companion, and I wasn't going through that trauma again! I'd already rang Rach last night after I'd jogged home with Monty to test out my ankle. After being subjected to a lecture about how stupid I was being by playing while I was still injured, I arranged to pick her up at about ten past ten in order to make sure we were at the courts in time for the warm-up.

I was back by half eight and had a quick breakfast before I headed into the shower and got changed into my netball kit. Kit consisted of club colours: a navy blue skintight dress with navy undershorts, a pair of white socks, ankle supports and my trainers. My hair was up out of my face in a high ponytail, a headband in place to keep any stray hairs at bay. I threw a hoodie on over the top of my dress to keep me warm, but couldn't be bothered to take my trainers off again in order to put my trackies on over my dress, so settled for bare legs instead. It was an overcast day, yet it wasn't too cold, so it wasn't as if I'd freeze. Thankfully I'd managed to remember to shave my legs while I was in the shower, so at least I didn't have that to worry about; I didn't want to be mistaken for a yeti. Dressed and ready, I clipped Monty onto his lead before grabbing my keys and heading out the door. What I wasn't expecting, when I opened it was to see Will, hand raised as if to knock, stood outside. He looked absolutely shattered- there were huge bags under his eyes, and a couple of day's worth of stubble on his chin.

"Oh, I-"

"What are you doing here?" We both spoke at once.

"Sorry, you go." I said to Will, indicating that he should speak first.

"I fixed the glitch in London. Well, temporarily anyway.I still need to work out what caused it, but I thought I'd come up here to surprise you. It's good to see that you're feeling better."

"Oh, that's great, Will! Yeah, I'm feeling better thanks." I smiled up at him, and he replied in kind, before glancing down at my outfit.

"Are you going somewhere? I mean, I'm not interrupting am I?"

"Oh, it's nothing really. I've got a match, that's all."

"A match?"

"Yes, a netball match; I play for a team every Saturday." He raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh really?"

"Yep. It should be a good one."

"Not this Saturday, you're not. You surely can't be considering playing on your ankle- you just got off crutches for God's sake! I mean, are you crazy?" Yes, I probably was, but we were not forfeiting this match. He tried to manoeuvre me back into the flat, but I resisted. "What are you even wearing anyway?"

"It's my kit. We play in dresses."

"Honey, that does not constitute a dress; if you turn I can probably see your butt cheek poking out." I crossed my arms across my chest, irritated. Netball dresses were designed to be short, but they definitely weren't butt cheek short.

"You are being ridiculous. I am playing, and there's nothing you can say to stop me."

"I'm being ridiculous? You're going off to play on an injury in a t-shirt." I scowled at him.

"It is a dress, Will. And I'm going, not that it's any of your business!"

"You're my soulfinder- of course you're my business." I stormed past him, slamming the door behind me. I didn't have to explain my decisions to him; I wasn't a child.

"Hey, wait. Alexis, wait!" I ignored him, walking further down the corridor with Monty trailing after me. I felt a hand clamp on my arm, and I turned to face him.

"Look, at least let me come with you." I ignored him. "Look, I'm not trying to be a douche- I just want what's best for you; I don't want to see you get hurt. I mean, surely even you realise that playing 'netall'"

"Netball. It's netball- there's a 'b'"

"Netball, netall; whatever! You could be playing lacrosse or football, but the fact remains that you shouldn't be playing. Come on, don't tell me your Mum would advise you to play today. Wait, actually, I've got her number, why don't I ask her myself?" He pulled out his phone, as if he was actually going to dial her number.

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me." He held the phone up to his ear. Shit.

"Wait, Will- don't! Please! I'm not doing this to put myself at risk. I get that it's not the most logical thing to do, but I have to go. This match is important, really important. Please don't call my Mum!" She'd be over here in a flash- reprimanding me for even considering such a thing.

"Important enough to risk hurting yourself?"

"Look, we're a player down if I can't play. That means we have to forfeit, which means we won't get promotion. We've worked too hard to throw it away. Besides, I'm not even going to running that much. I'll be fine."

"You're not shifting on this, are you?" I shook my head. "Okay, fine. I won't say anymore, but don't say I didn't tell you so when you end up hurting yourself more." He slid his phone back into his pocket.

"You didn't ring her, did you?" He shook his head. "Well, good- you won't need to because I'm not going to hurt myself."

"Let's wait and see, babe. Come on, let's go."

"Hey, who said you were coming?"

"I drove from London to see you; let me at least spend some time with you before we end up in A&amp;E, and I have to break the news to your Mum."

"Okay, fine." I agreed, leading him out of the complex.

We took my car, and headed off to pick up Rach. It wasn't quite as fancy as Will's Aston Martin, but it did the job; I liked my trusty little fiat. Will was sat in the passenger seat, but even with the seat pushed back it still wasn't quite big enough for him. Monty was sat contentedly on his lap, half asleep as Will stroked his fur.

"Okay, so we're picking up my best friend on the way as she's playing too. Now, I'm gonna warn you- she's a bit of a live wire; I don't know what she'll say to you. I mean, it won't be anything bad, but… just, yeah. She's quite… forward. But she means well, she'll just be looking out for me." He nodded.

"I'll be fine Alexis, don't worry."

"You say that now- you haven't met her yet." I muttered as we pulled into her road. Pulling up outside her house I honked twice, and waited for the front door to open.

"Should I move into the back?" He asked, ruffling Monty's fur.

"No, stay where you are. Rach can go in the back- you're cramped enough as it is." He nodded as I saw Rach run out of the house, kit bag in hand. I turned to him as I saw her approach.

"Anything she says, please don't take it seriously, okay?" He nodded. "No, but seriously- she has no filter. She won't be deliberately trying to offend you, but that's sometimes how people feel after they've talked to her"

"It's okay, Alexis. I'll be fine." I smiled unconvincingly, preparing myself for the torturous car journey that was about to ensue.

"Hey Alexis!" She yelled as she jogged down the drive. "You're a moron for playing today, you know." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, it's better than forfeiting. Take a seat in the back, we've got a passenger." She slid into the back seat without complaint, her jaw dropping when Will and I turned to look at her.

"Rach, this is Will." For once, she was speechless.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Will said, extending a hand for her to shake.

"Likewise. So you're the non-boyfriend boyfriend that's got Alexis so wound up."

"Is that so?" He asked, looking at me and quirking his eyebrow. I avoided eye contact, pulling off onto the road.

"Yeah, she's been all distracted and everything! It's so hard to get any information out of her about you at all, mind. But that's solved now- you're actually here I can ask you all I want, can't I? Like: Jesus, how are you so gorgeous? If I didn't have a fiancé, well…" She licked her lips lasciviously, and Will squirmed uncomfortably in response.

"Rach.." I growled.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Relax, Alexis! So Will, has she used the lingerie I bought for her on your behalf yet?"

"Lingerie? Oh, I know Alexis' penchant for lingerie, but I didn't know she had some more pieces to model for me."

"I am going to kill you." I said sweetly, glaring at Rach in the rear view mirror.

"Will will protect me, won't you Will." He nodded enthusiastically in response, and I glared at him.

"Just whose side are you on, sweetheart?" I asked.

"Honey, I'm powerless against a force that's promising you in lingerie. I'm a man, after all. Besides, Rachel thinks it's stupid for you to play today too- we've already got a common interest." Rachel cackled at that from the back seat.

"You know, Will, I like you. I think we're gonna get on just fine."

And it turns out, she was right. The rest of the ride to the match was spent with Rach interrogating Will. She asked him all manner of questions: where he was born, how old he was, when his birthday was, what degree he had, what he did now, how he set up his company. They were all questions that I should have asked, but never had. I was a lousy excuse for a soulfinder- he knew everything about me, yet I knew nothing about him. As is sensing my distress he rested his hand on my knee.

"You okay, sweetheart?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He squeezed my leg comfortingly, before returning to answering Rachel's never-ending set of questions. I kept my eyes on the road whilst they talked, pulling into the courts minutes later. Rachel leapt out as soon as the car came to a standstill. Will and I followed more sedately afterwards. He insisted on carrying my bag for me, so he had that slung over one shoulder, Monty's lead in one hand, and my hand in his other.

"You did well there, you know. She likes you." We both watched as Rach ran into the courts, gathering the girls together in a huddle; no doubt gossiping about Will and I. My suspicions were confirmed when the whole team turned to look at us.

"I like her. She's nice."

"She is. She's been my best friend since we were babies, practically. And although she's crazy I love her to bits."

"If she buys you lingerie on my behalf she's definitely got my seal of approval." He winked, and I slapped him lightly on the chest with my free hand.

"You are terrible, you know!" He shrugged. "So, what is netall, then?"

"Netball, Will!"

"Oh yeah, sorry!"

"It's kind of like basketball, really. Except you can't run with the ball." He stopped short at that.

"You can't run with the ball? That's the stupidest rule I ever heard. How do you move the ball then?"We carried on walking.

"You pass it while you're stood still." He still looked bemused by my explanation, but I carried on. "It makes more sense when you see it. There are seven players on either side, and the court is made up of three thirds. Which thirds you are allowed in is totally dependent on your position. That's the basics anyway. You'll pick up more as you watch." We walked into the caged court, and I introduced Will to some of the other team members' boyfriends and family who had come to watch. He seemed happy enough, and was soon chatting away whilst we began our warmup. He was certainly drawing attention from my team as well as the opposition. A hot guy with a cute puppy was an automatic chick magnet.

My team gathered for a quick team talk once we'd warmed up- it was tradition.

"So, Alexis, is that your boyfriend?" Gemma, my teammate asked, her eyes looking Will up and down. I was about to deny he was my boyfriend when Rachel butted in.

"Yeah, he is. He's gorgeous, isn't he? He's the boyfriend I was telling you she all had at training a couple of weeks back." They all 'ahh'd' in understanding at that.

"Does he have any brothers?" Hannah asked. "He is absolutely divine."

"Seven, actually." I deadpanned. "But they're all taken, sorry guys. Anyway, let's get back to netball; what's the plan?" We managed to spend the rest of that time talking tactics, not how I could help to set the team up with Will's siblings. I was to play GS, not my usual position of centre, under the strict instruction that if my ankle started really hurting I was to tell them, and we'd forfeit the game. Pulling off my hoodie, I handed it to Will to look after, who was happy to oblige, but concerned both by how skintight and short my dress was, and how wearing a dress without thermals on an overcast day might not do my cold much good.

Ignoring his concerns, I headed onto the court, and the match began. It was clear from the start that we weren't on top form; the change in positions just wasn't working, and we were 5-0 down by the end of the first quarter- I hadn't even touched the ball yet! Joining the other girls for a post-quarter debrief, I voiced my opinion.

"Guys, this isn't working. Why don't we drop back to our usual positions?"

"Alexis, you cannot seriously be contemplating running around on that ankle! Do you want to injure yourself?" Rach asked, outraged.

"I'll be fine; I'll tell you if it hurts."

"Are you sure about this, Alexis?" Hannah asked, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Positive. We are not losing to Ashbourne today!" I tugged my bib off, and handed it to Grace, our usual shooter, before getting the centre bib from a reluctant Rachel.

"Right girls, let's go!" I said, pulling the centre bib over my head and striding onto the court. I was ready. The next quarter was much better. My ankle was twinging painfully when I ran, but I wasn't about to complain; we'd manage to claim back four goals, and only concede one more. We could do this! The whistle blew, and I headed over to Will to grab my water bottle before I re-joined the team for a talk.

"Alexis, are you sure you're okay?" He asked, as he draped my hoodie around my shoulders to keep me warm, rubbing his palms along my forearms to create friction.

"I'm fine." I said as I took a large gulp from my water bottle. "You want some?" I offered, pointing the bottle in his direction.

"No, you keep it; you'll need it. You're playing really well! I can't believe I never knew about netball before- Sky and Phee never mentioned it." I stepped away from his embrace to join the team and analyse the quarter.

"It's not the most popular of sports, but I'm sure you'll be an expert in no time."

"We'll see." He shouted back at me as I headed over to join the girls.

The next two quarters continued in a similar fashion to the second. We managed to claw it back to 8-8 in the third quarter, which meant it was all to play for in the fourth. I could hear Will shouting encouragement from the sidelines, but I was too focussed on playing to pay too much attention to what was being said. In the end, we managed to sneak victory from the jaws of defeat, with Grace managing to sneak in a last second winner. We were ecstatic; we leapt around hugging each other, before finally remembering to follow protocol, shaking the hands of our opposition, before continuing with our celebrations. The spectators came over to join in with our fun; Will and Monty being two of them. He held out my hoodie for me to slip on, pressing a kiss to my cheek as he did so.

"We don't need you catching a chill, superstar." He said, brushing a sweaty piece of hair that had escaped my headband away from my face.

"Alright, lovebirds! Break it up!" Rach yelled at us. I blushed at that, but Will seemed to embrace it, wrapping his arms around me and holding me to his chest. I snuggled in closer, feeling him press a kiss to the top of my head. Things seemed to be looking up.

**Please leave a review! Also, don't forget to favourite and follow! If I hit 290 reviews I'll update tomorrow :) Please let me know what you thought! And yeah, if you want some more of Will and Alexis you know what to do! I know I'm cheeky to beg for reviews, but they are the only thing that makes me keep updating. Hugs x**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you so, so much for all your reviews guys! I'm glad you liked Will and Alexis' cuteness! I can't answer some of your questions without giving too much away, but if I say the main plot of this story hasn't even begun yet, then that should give you an idea- most of your suspicions are bang on the money. Honestly, if I manage to write all that I want to write then I'm barely a third of the way through. Sorry guys, there's a lot more still to come if you stick with it! And yes, all of the Benedicts will feature later on, and so will a scene with Will meeting Lex's family. Anyway, please leave a review! If I didn't get reviews I honestly wouldn't bother to update, so I'd like to thank you guys for all your lovely comments- you guys rock! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Twenty minutes later Rach, Will, Monty and I headed off to the car. Will had his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I was pressed comfortably into his side. Rach was informing Dan about the outcome of the match as he'd been off at football training, so we had a little time to ourselves on the walk back.

"You sure your ankle's okay?" He asked, noticing the way I was slightly babying it as I walked.

"I'll be fine."

"Do you fancy going out for lunch or something?"

"Sweaty and in my netball kit? Are you kidding, Will?" Netball kit definitely did not constitute 'eating out' attire.

"I don't mean now! I was thinking we could go back to your flat and you could change and shower first."

"Inviting yourself over? A bit presumptuous don't you think, Mr Benedict?" I replied haughtily. He stammered then, trying to correct himself. "I'm kidding, Will! I knew what you meant, don't worry. But how about we order in? I mean, you look beat."

"That sounds great, actually. I've got a bit of work I need to finish off this afternoon anyway. Pizza?"

"You're the man of my dreams: meat feast?"

"Right on sweetheart!" We high fived each other at that.

"You two are such dorks, honestly." Rach said as she watched our exchange, ending her phone call. "So, what's the plan for today then?"

"Oh, we're just going to go back to mine, order some pizza and chill."

"Sounds good, guys! Do you fancy doing something together tonight, though? I mean, me and Dan are free, so I was thinking maybe we could double date? There's that new restaurant that's just opened up a couple of miles away from me, if you fancy trying that?" I looked up at Will.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

"That sounds good to me, but only if you fancy it too, sweetheart?" I nodded at him.

"Yeah, that sounds lovely, Rach. We can celebrate today's victory with cocktails! Oh, and your's and Dan's engagement; we haven't had a proper celebration for that yet!"

"I like your thinking, girl! Okay, I'll book a table for half seven. Does that sound okay?" We both nodded.

"Sounds perfect." I said as we reached the car and climbed in. Dropping Rachel off at her house, we agreed to meet her and Dan at the restaurant at half seven, before heading off back to mine.

"Do you need to get anything from your hotel for tonight?" I asked Will, glancing at his outfit. "I mean, not that your outfit isn't lovely, but-"

"Nah, don't worry, Lex. I didn't get chance to check in this morning, so all my stuff's still in my car. I've got an outfit change in there, don't worry." I nodded, letting him doze whilst I drove home. Pulling up, I nudged him gently.

"Hey Will, wake up. We're here." He yawned, shifting in his seat, causing Monty, who was still sat on his lap, to jump to attention. I sniggered. "Come on, guys. The sooner we get inside, the sooner we can order pizza." That certainly got Will's attention, and he was out of the seat in no time. Food was definitely what motivated men; there was no doubt about it. I grabbed my kit bag from the back seat whilst Will went to his car to grab his suitcase before we headed up to my flat.

"So a meat feast, yeah? They're massive, so one should be enough between us, if that sounds okay?" I asked as I let us in.

"Sounds good to me, sweetheart."

"Okay, make yourself at home. I'll ring for it now before my shower." It was half twelve now and it usually took at least half an hour or more to arrive. He nodded, letting Monty off his lead and settling himself on the sofa with his laptop whilst I dialled Domino's to place our order, fumbling around for some cash from my purse in preparation. If I didn't sort out the money before it arrived I was always left faffing around for it, and the poor delivery boy was left waiting in my doorway. Finding a £20 note in my purse, as well as a handful of change, I left it all on the dining room table in a heap.

"Right." I said once I'd rang our order in. "I'm going to head for a shower. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, turn on the TV if you want, and if Monty starts growling it's probably because he's hungry. I'll feed him when I get out the shower as it's a tad too early now."

"Thanks, I will." He said, looking up from his laptop. "I'm just gonna try and finish some work off while you're in the shower, so then I won't feel guilty for not working today."

"Okay, I shouldn't be long. The pizza isn't supposed to arrive until one." I glanced at the clock, it was half twelve now. "And I should be out of the shower by then, but if it's earlier can you get it for me? I've left some money on the table."

"Sure thing, sweetheart, but I'll pay."

"We are not having this argument again, Will! Come on, I mean it's my house, so I pay."

"Okay, fine. If you pay for the pizza, I'll pay for our meal out tonight. Deal?" I scowled at him.

"That's not fair. You know that tonight will be more expensive than pizza."

"Take it or leave it, sweetheart." He said with a wink, shutting his laptop so that he could look at me more clearly. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at me. There was clearly no room for negotiation.

"Alright, okay." I headed for the bathroom. "But I'm buying my own drinks, you can only pay for my food."

"I didn't agree to that, sweetheart."

"We'll see, William." I replied, walking into the bathroom. I turned on the water and stripped my sweaty kit from my body, dropping it into my wash basket. A hot shower was the most glorious thing known to man after a netball match. A hot bath was even better, but I didn't have enough time to bathe properly before the pizzas arrived. Eagerly, I stepped into the hot spray, coating myself in shower gel and watching the soapy suds trail down my body before disappearing down the drain. Once I'd gotten rid of most of the grime I moved onto my hair- working the products in thoroughly, leaving it smooth and knot-free. Finally, I gave myself another lathering of fruity shower gel and a last rinse before I turned the water off, feeling infinitely cleaner, and better for it. Wrapping a towel under my arms I headed to my room to change into some comfortable clothes: a pair of leggings and a t-shirt being my outfit of choice. Running my fingers through my hair I brushed it carefully- not wanting the curls to frizz. Once I was satisfied, I walked back to where Will was. He was still working away at his laptop in the same position I left him in, but Monty had come and sat next to him. I watched from the doorjamb for a moment as Monty rubbed his head against Will's arm, and Will absentmindedly leant down to stroke him in response, still concentrating on the screen. It was adorable. I watched them for another minute before making my presence known.

"So, no pizza yet, then?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen. Will looked up, startled.

"No, not yet." I nodded, picking up Monty's food bowl and filling it with food for his lunch. His water bowl was still full, so I didn't need to re-fill that. He trotted over and scarfed it down as soon as it touched the floor, before looking up at me and begging for more. I leaned down to pet him.

"No, Monty. You can have more at tea time- that was it for lunch." He seemed to accept this, trotting off happily to sit by his new best friend, Will. What a turncoat. "So, how's work going?" I asked Will as I searched through my cupboards for some plates and a pizza cutter in preparation for our lunch.

"I'm getting there." He said with a sigh. "Someone hacked into our systems and damaged it. Thankfully they weren't able to get any data- my system's too tight for that. I've managed to repair it now- it's up and running again, but now I've got to add to our systems. I can't believe they got so close this time- I can't let it happen again. It's just creating a newer, better system is challenging, so I've just tried to add to the old. I've rang Yves to get him to look over it, but even he's stumped. That hacker was an expert!"

"Yves?"

"My younger brother. You know, Phee's husband?" Yes, the Benedict I used to hate with a passion.

"Oh yeah, right. Sorry- mental blank. Is Yves good with computers then?"

"Yeah, he's a genius with them. He helped design apple's security."

"Wow! That's really impressive! But I guess he's still not as good as you, right?" I asked cheekily.

"You got it, babe! I'm the best there is." He flexed his biceps for emphasis.

"Modesty has always been one of your finest qualities, Will. Do you fancy a drink?"

"That's what my mother always said! And yeah. Hang on; I'll come help." He shut his laptop and came into the kitchen before I could tell him not to inconvenience himself.

"Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge." I said as I grabbed two glasses from the cupboard in preparation. "I've got coke, orange juice or milk. Oh, or I've got squash if you fancy that?"

"Squash?"

"Yeah, squash. You know cordial?" He still looked bemused. "You don't know what squash is? Seriously? Wait, no you must have heard of it, maybe you call it something different in the states." I opened my cupboard to reveal my collection. I had every flavour under the sun: blackcurrant, orange, cranberry, lemon, lime, lemon and mango, cherry, apple, pineapple. I was obsessed. If it existed I had it, or had tried it.

"That's squash?" He asked, looking at the bottles.

"Yeah, you just mix it with water and hey presto: squash!"

"Why don't you just drink it? Why add water?"

"Will, believe me; you do not want to try undiluted squash."

"So it's like kool-aid, then?"

"Kool what?"

"Same principle: you add water to dried powder and you get a juice drink." I looked at him disgusted.

"That is so many levels of wrong!"

"Says the girl adding a liquid to a liquid!"

"Alright, enough trash talking squash. Don't knock it until you've tried it! You wanna try it, virgin?" He let out a choked cough at that. "Squash virgin, I meant! Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter!"

"I wasn't thinking that!"

"Yeah, yeah, virgin. Now which, if any, do you want to try?"

"Sweetheart, I'm the furthest thing from a virgin.

"Oh, so would you prefer man whore?"

"I'll stick with squash virgin, thanks. And cherry please."

"A good choice: cherry to pop your cherry!" I laughed, squealing as he grabbed me lightly, and began to tickle me. "Okay, okay! I surrender!" I screamed between laughs. "But you have to admit, that was a good one!"

"Sure, sure." He said, finally releasing me. I grabbed the glasses and poured us each some diluted cherry, before going to the tap and filling them up with water.

"Bottoms up." I said as I passed him his glass to try. He took it warily, sniffing it suspiciously, before taking a tentative sip. He licked his lips afterwards, savouring the taste. "So?" I asked, eager to hear his thoughts.

"Sweet, but nice. Really nice, actually." I grinned happily.

"Cheers." I raised my glass to him and we clinked them together. "To us."

"To the future." He said, taking another step towards me. I could feel the kitchen counter at my back- I couldn't escape; not that I wanted to. We were so close; I could feel his warmth. Instinctively, I tilted my face to his, our lips drawing closer together. My arms wound around his neck, and I shut my eyes in anticipation.

And then the doorbell rang. We both jerked away from each other at the noise.

"Ah-"

"I should probably go and get-"

"Yeah, probably I-" He unwound his arms, and I extricated myself from his hold.

"I'll just go and-"

"Yeah, sorry I-" He said as I turned to leave. I picked up the cash from the table and headed to the door, hearing him mutter something under his breath as I left the kitchen.

"Will, could you bring the plates and glasses through, please? Just drop them on the coffee table, and I'll bring the pizza." I asked as I opened the door, taking the pizza from the delivery boy and handing him the cash. I closed the door and brought it through to the living room as Will was setting the stuff on the coffee table.

"Here we go: a Domino's special!" I said with gusto, laying the box on the table and handing Will a plate. I sank down onto the sofa, and flipped it open- it looked mouthwatering. "Come on, dig in!" He joined me on the sofa, handing me a piece before helping himself to a slice.

"This is so good!" He exclaimed after his first bite.

"I know, I swear it's the best there is! Oh, should I put something on while we eat?" I motioned to the TV.

"Yeah, sure. I'm not fussed." He said, helping himself to his second slice of pizza. I grabbed the remote, and flicked through to Netflix.

"Anything in particular you fancy?" I asked as I waited for it to load, finishing off my slice of pizza as I did so.

"Lady's choice. Well, as long as you promise not to subject me to 'Gossip Girl' or '90210'. Sky and Phee are obsessed with those- it drives Zed and Yves mad."

"Don't worry, they're definitely not my sort of programmes." I said with a laugh as the screen flickered to life, pulling up my most recently watched programmes, all of which seemed to be about detectives. "Sorry." I explained. "I have a slight obsession with crime programmes."

"Yeah, you don't say!" He replied with a laugh, his eyes flitting over the screen. "Oh, you're watching 'Breaking Bad'. Man, I love that show."

"It's great, isn't it? I've nearly finished the first season after a week: I'm a total binge watcher."

"It gets better- I'm half way through season two, but I haven't watched it in a while. Why don't you put it on? It'll do me good to re-cap, and I don't want to interrupt a binge-watching session."

"Sounds good to me." I said, clicking on the latest episode, and glueing my eyes to the screen.

We demolished the pizza in no time. Well, I say we, but Will managed to finish off nearly two thirds of it as I couldn't manage my half. I didn't know where on earth he put it- the boy was a human dustbin! After a couple more episodes we took Monty on a quick walk around the neighbourhood to let him do his business, before we both got down to some work. We sat in companionable silence for the rest of the afternoon. My feet rested in Will's lap as he typed away on his computer and I finished off my lesson plans for the next two weeks.

His eyes started drooping a couple of hours later, his tiredness seeming to finally catch up with him.

"You okay?" I asked him, tearing my eyes away from my work. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Yeah, just tired is all. You okay if I take a quick nap- I just don't want to fall asleep at the table tonight."

"Sure. You can use the spare room if you want?" I offered.

"Nah, it's okay. I can nap anywhere, and this sofa is so comfortable." He stretched out as far as he could, but with me in the way his legs were still awkwardly bent in order to fit on.

"Wait, come here." I said, grabbing a pillow for my lap and patting it. "Put your head here and then you can stretch out fully." He did as I suggested, swivelling his body so that his head was now where his feat once were. He settled comfortably on the pillow, yawning and stretching his legs out fully.

"Thanks. You sure I'm okay here? I mean I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"You're fine." I said, picking up my lesson plans again. "I'll wake you up before we have to get ready for dinner."

"Mmm'kay." He managed to mumble before he was out for the count. I snickered at that; he was obviously a lot tireder than I'd first thought. I worked in silence for the next few hours, gradually and methodically sorting out a series of lesson plans that would keep my class on schedule. It was about half five when Will finally roused from his nap.

"Hey sleepyhead! Feeling better?"

"Much, thanks. How long have I been out?"

"About two and a half hours give or take."

"Wow, really? That long? I guess I was really tired." He sat up straight and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah, I was about to wake you as I thought we better start getting ready for tonight. I think we should set off from here at about quarter to seven so we've got time to get to the restaurant, which leaves us about an hour and a quarter to get ready. I know we won't need that long, but I thought you might like to have a shower and freshen up? There's clean towels in the airing cupboard, and you can help yourself to any of the products in the bathroom- I think I have some male ones somewhere."

"That sounds perfect." He said, standing as he spoke. "I won't be too long in the shower, but I do need to have a shave." He ran a hand along his stubbly chin as he spoke.

"There's an electric shaver socket next to the sink. I'm not bothering with a shower as I've already had one after netball, so you can be as long as you want. I'm just going to finish off this plan and then I'm going to get ready. I'll be in my room if you need me, so just give me a shout."

"Will do." He replied, grabbing his suitcase from next to the door and wheeling it to the bathroom. "See you in a bit, sweetheart."

**Review? If I hit 300 (ahhh!) then I'll update tomorrow! Hugs x**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you to all that reviewed- we hit 300! I'm so happy! Ahaa! Yay! I hope you like this chapter, guys. Prepare yourselves for a lot of fluff in the next few chapters before it starts to get interesting ;) Enjoy!**

Finishing off my last lesson plan, I quickly tidied up our lunch: dropping the plates in the dishwasher and recycling the cardboard box it came in. Grabbing my stack of lesson plans I moved to my room to file them and get ready. I heard the shower running as I walked past the bathroom- Will had obviously managed to find some male products. Well, at least I presumed he had. I highly doubted he'd want to smell of my distinctly girly 'Soap and Glory' shower gel.

Stacking my papers and slotting them safely away for when I was next in school I opened my wardrobe and tried to decide what outfit I should wear for tonight. The restaurant was fancy, but not too fancy. As in: not jeans and t-shirt, but not The Ritz either. I pawed through my wardrobe carefully deciding that a dress or a skirt seemed like the best and only options. I didn't really own any trousers that weren't jeans, and turning up in my plain black work trousers didn't seem like a very good idea; I didn't want to turn up looking like a frumpy school teacher on the weekend, doing it during the week was bad enough! I was just looking through my collection of skirts when my phone rang. Remembering to check the caller ID before I answered, I was delighted when I saw Sam's name pop up on the screen.

"Hey, Sam! How are you and Elinor?" I asked, pressing my phone to my ear using my shoulder and continuing to look through my skirts.

"Hey, we're good thanks. How are you and Will?"

"I still haven't forgiven you for ringing the Net, you know. And there is no me and Will."

"Your tone says otherwise, which means there definitely is a you and Will." Not finding a skirt that took my fancy, I moved on to looking through my collection of dresses, finally settling on my trusty black dress. It was elegant, yet still sexy: skintight with a see-through lace back.

"Fine: I'm glad you rang the Net and got him to come back, but we're just friends- nothing more." Taking the hanger it was on, I pulled it out of the wardrobe, pretending to wear it whilst looking myself over in the mirror- it would be just the trick.

"We'll see how that one works out. You're powerless against the pull, Lex, believe me. And it's good, real good once you stop being so stubborn and give in."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see. What's up, anyway?" I asked as I laid the dress on my bed and began to route around for some shoes. I had a pair of strappy high heels that would go perfectly with my dress- I just had to find them.

"Send me an invite to your wedding, won't you?"

"Very funny, Sam." I replied, scrabbling on my hands and knees to search through the bottom of my wardrobe.

"You know it. So, anyway, I was just ringing up to check if-"

"Aha!" I yelled in delight as I found my strappy black heels hidden right at the back of my wardrobe.

"What's the matter?"

"Sorry, I was looking through my wardrobe for some heels, and I just found them. Do continue."

"Right, so I was just wondering if you were still okay for tomorrow?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely! I can't wait to meet her!" I chucked the heels to the foot of my bed and began rummaging around for my stick-on bra. The strapless design of my dress meant that a regular bra was a no-go, so I was forced to wear a rather uncomfortable, backless alternative.

"Great! How about you come over for five, we were thinking that maybe we could have dinner together? We thought maybe we'd make ravioli, if you fancied that?"

"That sounds absolutely delicious, Sam. Yes, definitely, and five is perfect- just send me your address again would you? It's just I lost the piece of paper I wrote it down on last time."

"Yeah, sure. I'll text it over in a minute. See you tomorrow, Lex."

"See you then." I said as I put the phone down, dropping it on the counter as I continued to search through my underwear drawer. Finally finding the bra in question, I quickly stripped, pulling on a pair of clean knickers, and wandering to the mirror to try and stick on my bra. It was usually quite a struggle- who knew a bra required so much work to get on? I'd just managed to get the first sticky pad attached to me when I heard a voice on the other side of my door.

"Hey, Lex I'm ready." I saw the handle on the door twitch as if it were about to be opened, and I lunged for it, pressing my hands across my chest to preserve my modesty.

"Wait, I'm topless- don't come in!" The handle stopped moving as soon as I spoke.

"Sorry! Sorry- I forgot you'd be changing." I leaned against the door, heart still pounding from the near miss.

"Don't worry, it's fine. What's wrong?"

"Oh right, nothing really. I was just thinking, do you want me to take the dog on a walk before we go? I thought he might need another chance to relieve himself since he hasn't been out since after lunch."

"Oh, yes please, Will- that would be fab. I completely forgot that he'd need a walk before we left!"

"I'll take him round the block if that's okay? I just don't want us to be late. We need to leave in half an hour."

"Yeah, that's perfect. I'll put his dinner out for when you get back. Have you got a key?"

"Er, no.."

"Hang on, give me a sec to finish sticking my bra on!"

"Sticking?"

"My dress's back if made of lace; you have to wear a stick-on bra as otherwise your bra straps would be visible." Boys: completely clueless.

"Right.. No, it's okay, don't worry; just tell me where they are."

"There's a little dish on the table by the door. I usually put them in there, and I think I dropped them there on the way in. Failing that, try the dining room table." Mind, they could be anywhere. I was prone to leaving my keys in ridiculous places: the bread basket, the DVD stack, the fruit bowl: any of those were just as likely.

"Okay, I'll have a look." I heard him move away from my door and into the lounge. Sighing in relief, I returned to the mirror to continue sticking on my bra. At least if I had it stuck on I could throw my dressing gown on over the top and be able to help him search for them. Carefully, I managed to stick the second pad in place, meaning my bra was now safely secured.

"Found them. I'll be back in a bit, okay?" Will hollered from the lounge.

"Okay." I replied, hearing the door slam shut as I did so.

I had twenty five minutes to get ready, and so, for that reason, I decided to keep it simple. I wrestled my way into my dress quickly, breathing in as I zipped it up, already regretting having pizza for lunch. Slipping a long, dangly necklace over my head, I moved to my dressing table to begin to get ready. I decided to leave my hair down and loose, sliding a pair of simple diamond studs into my ears, and adding a lashing of mascara and coating of lip gloss to complete the look. Slipping on my shoes, I grabbed a black clutch for my phone and purse to go in and a black blazer to slip over my shoulders in case I got cold, before appraising myself in the mirror, not that there was much I could do- we had to go in ten minutes no matter what I looked like. Precariously, I made my way through to the kitchen to sort out Monty's dinner, wobbling on my far too high heels. I was just laying his dinner down on his mat when I heard the door open. I turned, seeing Monty scurrying towards me, and Will's eyes glued to my bum. I stood slowly, blushing and turning to face him.

"You look gorgeous." He walked towards me.

"So do you." I said, drinking him in. He was wearing a long, sleeved navy shirt and a pair of black trousers: simple, but utterly stunning. "So the stubble's all gone, then?" I asked as he came closer, running my hand along his chin.

"Yeah, all gone."

"It's a pity, I liked it."

"Really? I'll have to remember that next time then." He took my hand in his and brought it up to his face to kiss it gently. "You ready to go, beautiful?"

"Yeah." I replied, grabbing my purse and blazer from the counter. "Good to go handsome." He kissed the shell of my ear and led me out of the door.

XXX

We took Will's car to the restaurant as he said he'd stay off the alcohol, allowing me to have as many cocktails as I'd like and not worry about driving home. I couldn't argue with his logic: a fast car and a pass to drink whatever I wanted. Who would say no to that?

We arrived at the restaurant at twenty past seven, pulling in to the already busy car park, and searching for Rach's car.

"I can't see them." I said after glancing round. "Do you want to go inside and wait there until they arrive?"

"Sounds good." He replied, getting out of the car, and coming round to open my door and help me out. I stumbled a little as he helped me out, landing against his chest.

"Sorry." I whispered, looking up at him.

"Don't be sorry- I like it." He grinned, wrapping his arms around me and drawing me closer. We inched closer together, our lips nearly touching, when-

"Hey, guys! I hope I'm interrupting something." And with that the moment was lost as Rach and Dan appeared just at the wrong time.

"Third time lucky?" Will muttered to me. I squeezed his hand and laughed, remembering our earlier failed kiss.

"Maybe." I replied with a wink, before turning my attention back to Rach and Dan.

"Hey guys!" I said greeting them both with a kiss on the cheek, and introducing them to Will once more, even though Will had already met Rach before. He shook hands with Dan, and we headed inside, Will keeping a hand on my waist. We were still a little early, so we sat on some sofas by the bar whilst we waited for our table with our drinks. Rach and I had gone for a pitcher full of our favourite: 'Sex on the Beach', whilst the guys were both on soft drinks. We were seated a few minutes later in a booth. Rach and I were sat opposite each other, with the our respective partners on our other side.

"So, first a toast to you two." After everyone had sat down. "To your engagement, and the many hours I'll be spending being dragged around bridal boutiques with Rach before she decides which dress she wants." I'd become all to familiar with fussy brides after helping Savannah arrange her wedding. Although every girl says she won't become a bridezilla, I definitely thought otherwise.

"Hey, cheeky! I'll have to find another chief bridesmaid if you carry on!" Rach said jokily, kicking me under the table lightly with her foot as punishment. "But thank you." She raised her glass. "To the future." We all echoed her sentiments, raising our glasses and clinking them together, before looking through the menu. The waitress came to take our orders a few minutes later, her eyes lingering over Will for a tad longer than could be considered courteous.

"Oh, I meant to ask, how was training on Wednesday?"

"Yeah, I didn't make it in the end. It was Dan's birthday, so we celebrated, didn't we, honey?"

"We certainly did, sweetheart!" He replied with a broad grin. I suddenly remembered exactly what Rach had planned for Dan's birthday after our little shopping trip, and tried to change the subject.

"What did you guys do?" Will asked innocently. I put my hand over Rach's mouth before she told him exactly what her and Dan got up to in no uncertain terms. I'd heard far too much about their sexcapades over the years, and I didn't need to hear anymore tonight.

"It's more like who, Will. You really don't want to know. Rach has a habit of oversharing, and you'd need counselling." I told him, looking back at Rach who was grinning innocently. Cautiously, I removed my hand, wary of what was going to come out of her mouth next.

"Let's just say you'll be grateful that I've given Alexis very similar outfits and leave it at that, Will." I groaned at that and Will blushed.

"You are terrible, Rachel!" She cackled at that.

"You can counsel him, Lex. Your degree will come in useful after all!"

"Your degree was in counselling?" Will asked curiously.

"Yeah. Well, I did counselling combined with education and psychology. It comes in handy now. More so with helping people recover after they've come into contact with Rach, than with the kids, mind." She stuck her tongue out at me for that.

"Yeah, yeah, Anderson. Anyway, Will, Alexis said you met at a funeral. How did that work?"

_What?_ Will asked in my head.

_She doesn't know I'm a savant, so I had to stick with my back story. I told her we met at my Great-Uncle's funeral, not at the convention._

"Rach, I've already told you about this. Honest, there's not really much to know."

"Yeah, we met at the wake, and haven't looked back since." Will hedged nervously. This truly was the worst back story I'd ever conceived, but it was the only way for me to be allowed the time off school to be able to go.

"Well, it's unique, anyway." She said with a smile.

"Definitely one to tell the grandkids." Dan added with a laugh. "So Will, what do you do?" He asked, thankfully changing the direction of the conversation before we both tripped up on the lie.

Dinner passed extremely quickly: the four of us got along really well together, and my stomach hurt from laughing by the end of it. Will had definitely gotten Rach's seal of approval, especially after she made him recount his heroics from last Sunday- even Dan looked ready to swoon. After Will paid for our half of the dinner and my drinks, despite my aversions, we both bade Rach and Dan farewell and headed off home ourselves. I dozed off for most of the journey, only waking up when we'd arrived and Will was shaking me gently to wake me, before helping me out of the car to my flat.

"You okay if I come and see you tomorrow?" He asked as he walked me to the door. "I've got to go back down to head office tomorrow night for the rest of the week to finish up, so I won't be able to see you otherwise."

"That would be lovely, we could take Monty for a walk in the Peaks or something if you wanted?"

"That sounds great. If I get here for ten would that be okay?"

"That would be perfect."

"Right. I'll see you then, then."

"I'll see you tomorrow, and thank you for tonight."

"You're welcome." We stood there awkwardly for a moment, neither of us sure what to do or say.

"Goodnight then, I'll let you get in."

"Night, Will." I said, turning to let myself in.

"Wait!" I turned to see Will running towards me. "I can't let you go in yet. Third time lucky, remember?" I smiled, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"Let's see then, shall we?" I asked as he slipped his arms around my waist, and I looped mine around his neck.

"There's no one here to interrupt this time, is there?" He asked me. Our faces were pressed close together- our noses nearly touching.

"I don't care if there is." I replied, bringing our lips together.

It was the perfect ending to our evening, and as I slipped into bed that night with a smile that just wouldn't leave my lips, I couldn't help but wonder if Sam was right. Maybe this whole soulfinder thing wasn't so bad after all.

**Please leave a review! Hugs x**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thank you for all the reviews! Apologies for not updating earlier, but I'm on holiday at the minute and the wifi is absolutely atrocious- this is the first time I've been able to get on the network! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Please leave a review! The next chapter is already written and I will put it up (if the wifi works again) if I hit 315 reviews. Enjoy!**

Chapter 24:

Sunday marked the last day of the Easter holidays, and tomorrow I would be back at school, trying to control my class. Hopefully, they'd be more manageable after a two week break in which I imagined they'd done nothing more than stuff themselves with chocolate Easter eggs. My marking was up to date, and I'd written my lesson plans for the next two weeks, so I was free to spend the day how I pleased.

Will arrived promptly at ten, as we'd agreed last night. Still a little light-headed from consuming one too many cocktails last night, I'd barely managed to get out of the shower and change before the doorbell rang.

It was a hot day for once, so I was in navy shorts and a white striped t-shirt. I'd already slathered myself in sun cream, since I had a tendency to burn, and now resembled a deep-fried, oily chip. My hiking boots didn't exactly complement my outfit, but I figured it better to be comfortable than trendy.

I'd already packed a bag for our walk: a light picnic, a couple of water bottles, a collapsible water bowl for Monty, a bottle of suncream, plasters and, most importantly, a fully charged mobile phone, were already packed in my rucksack. Even if Will was with me this time, I wasn't making the same mistake again- a working phone was my top priority.

Half eaten cereal bar in hand, shoes unlaced and still bleary, I opened the door to a sensibly dressed Will.

"Morning." I looked over his outfit of a collared t-shirt, tight across his biceps, and a pair of gym shorts.

"Good morning." He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on my lips, seeming a little more jittery than usual. "You ready to go?"

"Are you okay?" I asked, confused by his nervousness. I hoped something hadn't gone wrong with the company, things were barely back on track; he could do without another setback.

"I'm fine, honest." I wasn't convinced by his answer, but let it go, answering his initial question instead.

"Yeah, nearly. I just need to tie my boots and grab my bag. Have you got suncream on?"

"We're in England, I don't need sunscreen."

"So that's a no?"

"Of course it's a no. Alexis, look at me: do I look like I need sunscreen?" Okay, he probably didn't need suncream- his heritage meant he looked perpetually tanned, like a bronzed God or something.

"That doesn't mean you're immune to skin cancer, Benedict." I grabbed the bottle from my rucksack and threw it at him. "There's a mirror in the hall if you need one to put it on."

"Okay, fine. But, I'm telling you- I don't need it." I laced my boots while he started lathering himself in lotion, before moving to the mirror I mentioned to do his face.

"You'll thank me when you live to 80."

"Sure, sweetheart." He replied as I finished tying my boots and set about finding Monty, clipping him onto his lead. He returned moments later, dropping the suncream back into my bag and hoisting it onto his shoulder. "This bag is coming with us, right?"

"Yeah. It's just got some food and drink- nothing much, but we'll need it."

"Cool. You ready to go?" I nodded, pulling Monty along with me.

"Yeah, let's go." I glanced down at his shoes as we headed through the door. "You sure you'll be okay to walk in them?" His pristine nike trainers didn't exactly seem like the best footwear for a walk in the mountains.

"I'll be fine. I don't generally bring walking boots with me on business trips, but I will next time."

"There's a next time?" I asked.

"Of course." He looped his arm around my shoulders as we made our way down the stairs. "Business trips to the UK have got a whole lot better recently." He looked at me, grinning broadly, and I smiled back shyly.

We decided to take my car to go on our walk, driving to the very car park that Will had driven my car from before, and taking the same route as last Sunday. Hopefully, this walk wouldn't end as disastrously. I'd decided that putting a hyperactive Monty in the back of Will's very expensive, rented car would not bode well for anyone involved, so my little fiat was our car of choice, even if it meant Will was somewhat cramped in the front seat. Fiats were definitely not built for hulking Americans. By the time we arrived the car park was packed; all manner of people were out walking on such a glorious day. Squeezing into one of the last available spaces we locked up and began to walk. Monty ran ahead of us up the valley, whilst we held hands and meandered on after him. Will insisted on carrying the rucksack- looking every inch the model in his black Ray-bans.

"So when do you go back to school?" He asked as we crested the first ridge.

"Tomorrow. The holidays have gone so fast- I'm hoping the kids will be less hyperactive when I get back."

"Hey, you teachers get more vacation time than the rest of us!"

"It's definitely a perk, but is well-needed after spending the rest of the year running after the tykes."

"I wouldn't know: I was always impeccably behaved at school."

"Yeah, sure. I bet you were a hell-raiser."

"No, that was high school and college. At elementary school I was the perfect student."

"The second part I believe, the first I'm not so sure about. I'll need proof to believe you were an angel."

"You wound me, sweetheart."

"Hey, it's not all bad: every girl has a soft spot for a bad boy."

"Well, I'm glad I fit the bill."

We stopped for lunch at the top of the ridge, finding a fairly flat spot near the cairn that marked the summit. Well, if you could call it a summit. Having lived in Colorado and been surrounded by mountains all his life, Will was hardly blown away by what we'd climbed, but he still enjoyed the view; it was green and lush as far as the eye could see. In fact, he liked it so much that he asked a random walker to take a picture of us and Monty, all cuddled up together in front of the view, which he then made his new screensaver for his phone.

After Will devoured the ham sandwiches I'd made, we decided to head for home. It was around one when we started our descent. Monty ran alongside us, straining against the lead, trying to chase the sheep, something that definitely wasn't happening ever again. I needed to get back home in time to leave for Sam's house to meet Elinor later that evening, but we walked fairly quickly. It took us a couple of hours to get back to the car, by which time it was half past three. The car park was significantly emptier than it had been this morning: most of the walkers having called it a day once the sunshine had gone in earlier this afternoon.

"So, only the hardcore walkers remain." Will observed, as I opened the boot of my car and popped Monty in. He was a little muddy from walking- I'd have to give him a quick hose down in the communal garden at the back of my flat before I let him loose on my cream carpets, or my leather car seats.

"Will, I hate to break it to you, but I think you'll have to buy a pair of walking boots before you're classed as hardcore."

"You mean my sneakers don't make the cut?" He teased, looking down at his now rather muddy trainers.

"Sorry! Their rules, not mine!" I laughed as we clambered into the car. "So…" I hedged awkwardly, not quite sure what Will's plans were for the rest of the evening. I knew he had to head back to London tonight, but I wasn't quite sure when he was going, and I needed to get to Sam's.

"You want to go somewhere for dinner?" He asked. "I was going to drive back down tonight, but I think I might go down tomorrow morning instead."

"I'm sorry, I can't. I'm meeting a friend at 5 for tea." He looked stricken, but tried to act casual.

"Where are you off to?"

"I'm just going to see Sam. He and his soulfinder are in Derby for a few days before they move up too Edinburgh, and I want to meet her before they go."

"You can't, Alexis." He said sharply.

"What?" I looked up at him, bemused.

"You can't go!" What the hell was wrong with him? There had been something wrong with him this morning, that he'd refused to admit; he hadn't been quite himself all day. I didn't like controlling men, soulfinder or not, it wasn't on. He must have discerned my thoughts from my expression. "No, seriously- you're in danger if you go, I can tell."

"It's Sam, Will. What danger could I possibly be in?" He shook his head adamantly, worry spreading across his features.

"It's my gift, Lex. I don't know what the danger is yet, but if you go you'll be in danger- you're a giant beacon right now. I wasn't going to tell you because I thought I could find a way for you to be with me all evening, so I could protect you from whatever it was." I still wasn't completely accepting this explanation, and it must have shown on my face.

"My gift's never wrong, Lex. You glow until the danger happens, or until you change your plans to avoid the danger. You're in danger until tomorrow morning at the earliest- it's why I decided to drive back to London tomorrow, rather than tonight."

"Are you sure this is about danger? I mean, it's not because I'm going to see Sam, is it? I mean, with that, you have nothing to worry about that- we're nothing more than friends. We were never going to be. I just want to meet his soulfinder, nothing more"

"This isn't about my ego, or me trusting you and him, Alexis. You could be going to see you mother and I'd have the same reaction. I don't joke about my gift, ever." He looked so worried, and so serious, that I had no option but to believe him.

"Okay, fine." I agreed. "But if you're lying..." He launched himself over the console, and wrapped his arms around me, whispering into my hair.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I'm not lying, I promise; I just need you to be safe- it's why I've been on edge all day. It's not a ploy, honest- I just need to make sure nothing happens to you. It might not be going to see Sam that's the problem, it could be something else, but it's not worth taking the risk."

"Okay, so if I consciously decide not to go and see Sam, then I should stop glowing, right? But if it's something other than Sam, then it must be something else that's causing me to glow?"

"Right. Try it right now- make a conscious change to not go and visit him this evening." I shut my eyes for a second and did as he instructed, imagining myself spending the evening going over lesson plans, rather than visiting Sam and Elinor. As I did so, Will let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank God, you're back to normal; no danger."

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. That seemed rather unbelievable, and very convenient for Will considering how much he disliked the person I was visiting.

"Yeah, positive. I'm not lying Alexis- I swear on my grandmother's grave I'm not. Promise me you won't go." The crazed look in his eyes was enough to convince me.

"I promise." I replied solemnly, watching as the tension left him as a result of my answer.

"Thank you."

"Surely it's me that should be thanking you; I'm now a danger-free zone. I'll ring Sam when I get in to cancel." I said as I turned on the ignition, and pulled out of my parking space. It was time to go home.

On the way, Will got a call from his PA. His partner, Tom, the joint CEO of Benedict Security, who had been visiting ill relatives in Denmark at the time of the hacking, had unexpectedly decided to fly into London at the last minute tonight to help him look over their security systems for the rest of the week, before flying back to the States. He hadn't had signal in the mountains, so it was the first Will had heard of this plan, something that he wasn't all that thrilled about, considering the fact that he was still stressed that something might happen to me. Pulling into my flat, I convinced him to go, practically pushing him into his car. Tom had put personal matters aside for the time being to help out, and his plane was landing at Heathrow at eight, meaning Will would be able to pick him up from the airport and head straight to the office to start looking stuff over before bed.

"I will be fine, Will." I assured him, for what must have been the sixtieth time. Unfortunately, he still didn't look convinced. "I promise I will not go to Sam's house."

"You swear?"

"I swear." He nodded, still not quite satisfied. "Now go, I'll be fine."

"You sure you want me to go?" Leaning up on my tip toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly, pulling away only when I got breathless.

"That didn't seem like a 'yes', to me." He said smugly. It was the first kiss that I'd initiated between us.

"That was a 'get in the car right now, or it's not happening again' kind of kiss.'" I replied with a smirk, watching with delight as he all but leapt into the driver's seat, winding the window down to talk to me.

"Don't make me regret this, Alexis." He said seriously, taking my hand and holding it in both of his. "Promise me you won't go and see him."

"I promise." I replied. "I'll ring you if anything happens. Now get going, you; you don't want to make him wait at the airport for hours!"

"One for the road?" He asked cheekily, tapping his finger against his lips. I rolled my eyes, but obliged, leaning into the car through the window and placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"Now go!"

"Anyone would think you wouldn't want me!" He said, pretending to act like I'd hurt him.

"You know full well that I want you." He wiggled his eyebrows at that. "You are such a perv, Benedict!"

"You love it, sweetheart." I didn't reply to that; his head wouldn't fit out the door if I did.

"Drive safely, and ring me when you get there, okay?"

"Will do, sweetheart." He replied, pulling out of the car park. "Speak to you soon." I waved him off, watching as he wound his way through the parked cars and out of sight. It was about three hours to London from my flat, what with all the road works and inevitable traffic jams, so he should get to Heathrow by the time his friend's flight landed; it was quarter past four now. Turning, I took Monty to the hose in the garden to shower off some of the mud, before heading inside to ring Sam and tell him I wasn't going to be able to make it tonight.

Opening the door, I grabbed a scruffy old towel and dried Monty off, feeding him his dinner and re-filling his water bowl, before picking up my phone to tell Sam the bad news. It rang a few times before he picked up.

"Hello, Lex. You okay?"

"Hi, Sam. I was just ringing to say that I'm really, really sorry, but I'm going to have to cancel tonight. I'm so sorry it's such late notice but.." What did I tell him? He was a savant, so Will's gift wouldn't surprise him, but I really doubted he'd believe that I'd be in genuine danger going to his house to eat ravioli; even I struggled to believe Will's explanation.

"But what? What's wrong, Alexis? Are you sure, I mean Elinor's ravioli looks amazing- it should be done half an hour after you arrive."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, but I can't. It's Will."

"What? Will's not letting you come." He sounded concerned, and I struggled to justify Will's reasoning.

"Yes.. No. Well, yes technically, but not just because he doesn't want me to see you."

"Right…"

"Sorry, I didn't explain that very well. Will's gift is to sense danger. Or, more precisely, when someone's in danger, or going to be in danger."

"Okay.."

"So, I was with him today, and he could sense I was in danger. In order to work out what the danger is, you have to change your plans until he no longer sees that you're in danger- so you change your plans to avoid what the danger is. Well, at least that's how I think it works."

"And coming to see me and Elinor to eat ravioli puts you in real danger, right?" He asked, unimpressed.

"Yes, apparently so. I know it sounds unbelievable, but-"

"Are you sure this isn't a jealousy thing with him? I mean, come on, Alexis! What could really happen to you? Me and Elinor are off to Edinburgh soon, I thought you wanted to meet her."

"I do, Sam, I really do, but I can't. Not today, anyway. He's not lying, Sam, I can tell. He was really worried, and he didn't want to leave me tonight in case something did happen, even after I promised him I wouldn't go and meet you."

"Alright, okay. How about we compromise? You're only in danger if you come to see me and Elinor, right?"

"Yeah. Well, at least I think that's how it works."

"Okay, so how about we come to you? That won't cause you danger, will it? It's only you coming to my house that put you in danger wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Well, I think so.. I'll have to ring and check with Will first, but I think that it was just the original plan that caused the danger. When I made my mind up not to visit you I was fine."

"Okay, perfect. So we can come and see you, right? How about we meet in that little café on the corner of the high street by Tesco? You know, the little one? It's only a few minutes' walk from you. We can just have a quick chat, you can meet Elinor, and be gone in half an hour. If you don't tell him, Will won't even know you've gone." I did know the one he meant. It was a quaint little tea shop, open all hours, that was a haven for tourists and locals alike.

"That sounds nice, Sam, but I will have to ring Will first, to make sure it's okay."

"It will be fine, Alexis. Are you going to have to ring him every time you do anything to make sure it's okay with him?"

"No, Sam, I'm not. But you didn't see how worried he was when I said I was going to see you tonight. I'm not going to not tell him that I'm going, especially when he only wants to keep me out of harm's way, even if this is a totally different plan that avoids the danger I would have been in if I went to your house. Besides, I'm only checking in with him now because he was so worried earlier. I'm sure I'll be fine- meeting you at the café should avoid whatever danger he sensed."

"Okay, Alexis. Text me when you've heard back from him. Do you want to meet at the café at five? El can put the ravioli on hold for a bit, and we'll miss the evening rush at the café."

"I'll see you there at five, unless I text you to tell you otherwise." I confirmed.

"Okay, see you soon hopefully, Lex." He said as he hung up the phone.

As soon as I heard he'd gone, I rang Will, biting my nails as I did so. Hopefully he'd say I'd be fine to go. I mean, it was only going to Sam's house that caused me danger, right. I mean, what could possibly happen to me walking five minutes to a little tea shop and staying for half an hour? I mean, it wasn't as if kidnappings and muggings happened frequently in rural Derbyshire! Unfortunately, Will's phone didn't even ring; it went straight through to answerphone, leaving me with a decision to make. What did I do?

Will had said that I was only in danger if I went to Sam's house. When I changed my plans to go and visit, then I was out of danger; I was fine. This was a new plan, something different. It didn't mean I was in danger, did it? I tried to ring him again, but just got the same response. I left a message. It was twenty to five now, about the time I'd be setting off if I were going to Sam's house.

This was ridiculous. I wasn't going to let Will's gift dictate my life; I wouldn't be able to go anywhere at that rate. Besides, I wasn't going to Sam's house, which was what caused the danger; I was doing something completely different. Something danger free. I'd be fine. I grabbed my shoes, tying the laces, and firing off a quick text to Sam before I changed my mind. I'd got a missed call from Alice, but I decided I'd ring her back tonight when I had more time. Grabbing my keys, I left Monty, and hurried down the stairs. I'd be back in half an hour, and he had everything he needed.

I was going to be early to the tea shop, but I didn't mind. It just meant I'd be able to get a good table for the three of us before everyone arrived. Leaving the flat block, I stepped out into the glorious sunshine; it was a lovely day now that the sun had re-appeared from behind the clouds.

"Miss Anderson!" I heard a little voice yell. I turned to see where the voice had come from and saw little Daisy Law on the other side of the road. Her older sister, Diana was in my class, and they were both very sweet. She dropped her mother's hand, and crossed the road to see me.

She didn't see the car careering out of control around the corner. I did.

Time seemed to freeze for those few seconds. Every moment infinitely longer than the last.

Ten seconds.

I watched in horror as she stepped further into the road.

Nine seconds

The car drew closer, Daisy's mother still totally unaware of what was happening.

Eight seconds.

She wasn't going to make it.

Seven seconds.

I didn't have time to think; I acted.

Six seconds.

I dropped my bag.

Five seconds.

I leapt into the road.

Four seconds.

I raced towards her.

Three seconds.

She turned and saw the car.

Two seconds.

She screamed. Her mother turned to look, but it was too late; she was now nothing more than a mere bystander in this event.

One second.

I had her in my arms.

Time sped up again, when I had her. I didn't have time to move. I felt the impact, I heard her scream. All the air left my lungs in a rush. Our entwined bodies were thrown forward, the gravel ripped at my skin, my head hit the tarmac. It hurt. My head felt fuzzy. Someone was screaming, someone else came and picked up my hand. They said something. I couldn't make it out. I opened my eyes to see, but it was too bright. I felt Daisy wriggling in my arms. I let them go lax. She was okay. Thank God. My eyes slid shut, my senses were overwhelmed. Darkness was better. Much better. And with that, I let myself slip away.

**Please leave a review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews! Here's the next chapter- I hope you like it! I will put the next chapter up tomorrow if I reach 328 reviews. Otherwise, it will go up on Sunday (wifi permitting, of course. Rural Italy I've discovered, is not exactly a wifi hotspot). Hugs x**

25:

"Alexis? Alexis, can you hear me?" An unfamiliar voice asked. I mumbled incoherently; I preferred the quiet. The next thing I knew, someone was peeling open my eyelids and shining a torch at my pupils. I jerked away from their touch and opened my eyes.

"What?" I asked blearily, confused by this person, and my surroundings. I looked around me; I was sat on a stretcher in a confined, clinical space. We were moving. A siren was blaring. What was going on? The voice I'd heard was a guy in some sort of emergency services uniform, who was stood next to me looking very concerned.

"Alexis? It is Alexis, right?" I nodded. "I'm Bob. I'm a paramedic." My shoulder was twinging painfully, and my face was stinging. I raised my hand to touch it gingerly. "Careful, you've got a nasty case of road burn." He intercepted my hand gently before I could make contact with my face. "You were in an accident. I don't think you've broken anything, but we'll take you for an x-ray when we get to the hospital. Can you wiggle your toes for me?" I did as he asked, and he smiled. "Good. How's your head? Is anything else hurting? I couldn't see anything other than the road rash."

"My shoulder." I said, weakly. I couldn't move it.

"It's not dislocated, I've already checked. How's your head? Apparently you whacked it pretty hard. I'm pretty sure you've got a nasty concussion, but we'll get you properly checked out at the hospital- we're nearly there now." I tried to nod, but it hurt my head. I couldn't move much in the stretcher. All of a sudden, everything came back. The teashop, Sam, the car, Daisy. Daisy!

"Is Daisy okay?" I asked, panicked at the realisation that I couldn't see her. Oh God, what had happened to her?

"The little girl?" I nodded again, or at least I tried to. "Yeah, she's fine; not a scratch on her." I sighed in relief and shut my eyes. My shoulder was aching more painfully now, and my face and arms stung.

"Hey, keep those eyes open for me, Alexis; don't fall asleep on me! We need you to stay awake with your head injury, it's-" I couldn't hear the rest of what he said as darkness came swiftly. I was powerless against the void.

The events that followed were a blur; I kept falling in and out of consciousness. I vaguely remembered the van veering around a corner sharply, Bob urging me to stay awake, and me then leaning over the side of the stretcher and vomiting. I think I missed his shoes, but I wasn't sure. I'd have to find him and apologise, and maybe buy him another pair of shoes, or at least reimburse him for his troubles.

I finally came to to the sound of a machine bleeping. My throat felt dry and my head was banging. Blinking groggily, I looked around. I was in a bed in a room. Judging by its sterility and clinicity, I deduced that I was in a hospital room of some kind. Well, either that, or I was in a room belonging to someone who had a penchant for medicinal machinery and used bleach in place of an air freshener. Just as I was about to get out of bed to confirm my suspicions, a nurse breezed in through the door.

"Oh, good; you're awake. I was going to set up an IV for you if you were still out. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I wasn't, but that popped out before I could tell her that my head really hurt, my shoulder throbbed, and my face and arm were stinging. I was typically British. "Where am I?"

"Derby RI." I nodded. That made sense- it was the nearest one to my flat, and was where Mum and Dad both worked. It was actually where I'd come only last week to have my ankle checked over. Twice in less than a week! I didn't want to make regular hospital trips a habit. "How's your head? You had quite a nasty knock. You've already been x-rayed; nothing's broken, but we want to send you for a CT to check out your head."

"It hurts." I admitted, and she nodded. "Can you tell me what day it is, Alexis?" She asked. I frowned at her. Why did she want to know that?

"It's Sunday; I've got school tomorrow."

"School?" She asked concerned.

"No, I'm a teacher. Don't worry- I don't think I'm a pupil again, don't worry. My memory's fine." I remembered reading a Sophie Kinsella novel once when the character lost five years of her memory after an accident, and couldn't remember that she was married and having an affair. I couldn't remember what happened in the end, but I think she left her husband. I'd have to re-read it at some point. Still, I was pretty sure I was in 2014; years of my life hadn't been forgotten- my memory was perfectly fine. "Well, at least I think it is." She smiled in relief.

"Good. I think you'll be just fine, Alexis. I'll be back in a bit to take you for your scan. In the meantime, help yourself to some water on the side." She pointed to the hospital table on my bedside with a jug of water resting on it, and a plastic cup beside it. "Oh, and take two of these every day for the next week. One in the morning, one at night. You'd best take one now" She said, producing a packet of pills from her pocket, and handing them to me. "They're just some big-standard antibiotics; we don't want your road rash to get infected." I looked down at my forearm to see it bandaged heavily.

"Right. Thanks."

"No problem. I'll just make a note of it now." She said, fishing out a clipboard from the end of my bed, and making a note of what she'd just told me.

"Alexis Anderson?" She asked, looking at me.

"Yes."

"You're not related to the Doctor Anderson's that work here, are you?"

"Yeah. They're my parents."

"Oh." She blushed to the roots of her hair. "Would you like me to fetch them? I think your father's in surgery at the minute, but your mother's just started doing her rounds on the ward."

"No, not yet, thanks. When will they be done, do you know?"

"A couple of hours, I imagine. I can page them to ask if you'd like?"

"No, don't bother; I don't want to panic them. Would you be able to get them when they're about to go home for me?"

"You sure? They might like to know you're here."

"No, honest. I'll be fine."

"Okay." She agreed. "I'll pop in and see you soon for your scan." She said, heading out. "Try to stay awake until I come and get you. We need you conscious with a head injury; falling asleep could make you worse." I nodded, and she smiled, closing the door quietly behind her. I leant over to grab the jug of water she mentioned, as I was desperate for a drink- my throat felt rough and raw. As I moved to grab it, I noticed that my handbag was also on the table. Distracted, I took it, rifling through it to try and find my phone to tell Sam what had happened. He was bound to be confused when I didn't show up, after texting him to tell him I would. Watching the screen flicker to life I saw that I had seventeen missed calls from Alice, seven missed calls from Sam, thirty missed calls from Will, and a text from Rach.

I ignored Sam's messages, and decided to ring Alice first, figuring that she had something urgent to tell me. I'd ring Will afterwards- I'd only seen him a few hours ago. I hoped she was okay; seventeen phonecalls was unusual for her. I should have picked up to her when I first left the flat. The phone hardly had time to ring before she picked up.

"Alexis?"

"Yeah. Are you okay, Alice?"

"Am I okay? Are you okay? I didn't see you were in trouble before it was too late. I'm so sorry." Having the gift of sight meant that Alice always felt accountable for anything that went wrong, even when she had nothing to do with it.

"Alice, I'm fine. They think I might be a bit concussed, but other than that all the damage is superficial."

"Thank God you're okay. I'm sorry I didn't get chance to warn you. I'll be more careful in future."

"Alice, it's not your fault. You can't see everything"

"But I should." I was about to tell her how harsh on herself she was being, but I could hear shouting outside my door.

"Alice, I'm going to have to go. Something's happening. I'll call you soon."

"Okay, sis. Take care. Mum will pop in in half an hour, I can tell." Bidding her good bye, I barely had time to put my phone away before the door to my room flew open and Will stormed in, flanked by the nurse that had called in on me earlier.

"Sir, you can't go in there. It's family only." He ignored her, and strode towards me.

"Are you okay?" He asked when he reached me, holding my hand in his, and framing my face with the other. He touched me gently, as if scared I wasn't actually there; instead, merely a figment of his imagination.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in London!"

"Don't be ridiculous. What happened? What hurts?"

"I'm fine; I've just got a mild concussion. A girl from school ran across the road to see me, straight into the path of a car. I got hit trying to move her out of the way."

"Just a 'mild concussion'? Jesus, Alexis; there's nothing mild about that!"

"Sir, I must ask you to leave." The nurse insisted, still stood by the door.

"It's okay." I replied. "He can stay." She frowned at me, but accepted my explanation, leaving us both alone. I was pretty sure the only reason he was allowed to stay was because she knew who my parents were, and the influence they had in the hospital. Hey, sometimes nepotism was a good thing!

"Will, look at me; I'm fine. They're taking me for a CT scan later, but I feel fine. How come you're here?" He sighed in frustration, and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Well, I'm glad you feel fine because I'm certainly not. I am so mad at you right now! What was the one thing I asked you not to do? The one thing you promised me not to do?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't think I was in danger anymore; I changed my plans- I didn't go to Sam's, I was meeting him at a coffee shop instead. I rang you to check it was okay, but you didn't pick up." He clenched his fists into balls.

"Me not picking up doesn't mean you go anyway! I was on the phone to Tom. I would have rang you back afterwards- I was only on to him for five minutes while I was driving!" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"My gift doesn't work like that anyway, Alexis. You changed your plans to stay at home all night; if you'd have done that then you would have been out of danger. That's why I said you were safe- I didn't mean anything but going to see Sam at his house was safe! But you didn't listen; you went out anyway, even though you promised you wouldn't. It was getting to Sam's that was the problem, not actually going to see him- that was what caused the danger." I understood what he meant now. I'd set off to the café at the same time I would have if I was going to Sam's. It was the journey that was the source of the danger- not Sam himself, as I'd thought Will meant. Staying at home would have meant I didn't make the journey in the first place.

"How do you think I felt driving down the M1, feeling a sudden pain through our bond, and then nothing; absolutely zilch. I thought you were dead. God knows how I didn't crash the car! The only reason I knew you weren't is because I rang Sam after ringing you hundreds of times to get no answer because I guessed, correctly as it turns out now, that you must have disobeyed my explicit instructions. He was the one that told me you were being scraped off the tarmac and into an ambulance. "

"Well, I'm sorry, I didn't know that that was how your gift worked. But I'm not going to be sorry for saving her life." I replied stubbornly. I felt like a naughty schoolchild. He countered my argument immediately.

"If you hadn't gone, she wouldn't have run across the road to you, would she?" I swallowed, upset. I hadn't looked at it like that. "So, by ignoring me you put her life in danger as well as your own. For God's sake, Alexis, why couldn't you just have listened to me for once?"

"I just wanted to meet Elinor." I explained quietly, looking down at my lap.

"And you could have, you still can- just not when I've told you that going to meet them puts you in mortal danger. What don't you understand about that?"

"But they were leaving to go to Edinburgh; they didn't have time any other night."

"They could have made time. You nearly didn't have any time left yourself after today! You could have died! Have you not realised that yet?"

"I'm sorry." I replied solemnly, looking into his eyes as he said it. And I was; I'd been stupid. The nurse popped her head around then, interrupting our moment.

"Alexis, your mother's on her way." She announced, glaring meaningfully at Will.

"Right I'll go then." He stood up to leave without giving me a second glance.

"Wait, why?" I asked, reluctant to let him go, even if he was mad at me.

"I'm guessing you don't want me to meet you mother for the first time like this? In fact, I bet they don't even know about me, do they?" I didn't answer.

"Wait, let me guess; they don't even know you've got a soulfinder." I stayed silent, not wanting to admit that he was right.

"I'm right, aren't I?" I didn't confirm his suspicions. He shook his head in disbelief.

"God, I should have known! If you don't want me, just tell me- don't keep stringing me along like this!" His face displayed all of his emotions for me to see; he was crushed.

"I'm not!" I tried to defend myself. " I-" But he cut me off.

"Save it. I've heard enough." And with that, he stormed out of the room past the nurse, who wisely didn't say anything, simply shutting the door so I was on my own once more. I swatted my tears away angrily.

I'd really messed up this time.

**Please leave a review! 328 and you'll get the next chapter tomorrow!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you for all your reviews! I hope you like this chapter- you'll finally get to meet some Benedicts! Woohoo! Anyway, enjoy! Please leave a review!**

Chapter 26 :

Mum dashed into my room frantically two minutes later, her stethoscope dangling awkwardly around her neck as if it were about to fall off. My eyes were glassy and puffy, something she put down to pain; physical rather than emotional. I didn't bother to correct her when she insisted on getting me some stronger pain relief. I didn't want to feel right now.

Thankfully, I was taken off for my CT scan before she could faff over me any more. It came back clear, thankfully, and I was given a clean bill of health. Well, aside from the road burn along my right forearm and face, plus a rather bruised shoulder that ached whenever I moved it. I looked like I'd been in a nasty punch up. I texted Will to tell him the news, but he didn't reply. I wasn't really expecting him to, but I thought he'd at least be relieved that I was okay.

Despite this, Mum and the nurse looking after me both insisted on me staying the night, and not going back to school tomorrow, even though I felt fine. Apparently it was hospital policy for someone with a severe concussion, and just because my parents worked at the hospital did not make me exempt. Grudgingly I accepted their decision- not that I had much choice in the matter. Besides, I could hardly turn up to school late on the first day. I was told to stay awake until at least 2am, as even though my CT came back clear they still liked you to remain conscious for at least eight hours after the accident to make sure nothing else was wrong. Apparently it was easier to deal with someone when they were conscious.

"Right, so I'll ring Mrs Lee tonight to tell her your not going in tomorrow." My Mum said as she sat perched on the end of my bed. She was supposed to be back doing her rounds by now, but was instead tending to me.

"Mum!" I moaned. "Is this really necessary? I can't miss the first day back after the holidays!"

"You can, and you will." She replied adamantly, leaving no room for compromise.

"Surely there must be someone who can cover you for a day. I'm sure Mrs Lee will understand. You have been in a serious accident." It was clear that Mum had never met the headmistress of my school, Mrs Lee. If she'd met her, she'd remember- she was horrible. Trying to get her to let me miss a day off school to go to the soulfinder convention on the pretence of going to a relative's funeral had been difficult enough, and I'd only missed flipping toy day! Still, there was nothing I could do; Mum was a force to be reckoned with, even Mrs Lee stood no chance against her when she had her mind set on something.

"Okay, fine. I've already written out my lesson plans for tomorrow, and I've got my powerpoint ready- it's all on my laptop. I could email it to her if I had it. The supply teacher would be able to work from it; it's pretty self-explanatory." I was teaching maths to nine year olds. Surely anyone could teach that.

"I'll get it from your flat and bring it over." She promised, making a note of it.

"Oh, and Monty, Mum!" I was a terrible owner; I'd forgotten all about my little puppy. Thank God he'd already been on a long walk, and I'd filled his food and water bowls before I'd left. Still, I was only going to leave him for half an hour, and I'd ended up leaving him for nearly four.

"I'll ring Jack." She said, fishing out her phone and dialling his number. "He can pick Monty up and your laptop while he's there. I'm sure him and Savannah can look after him tonight, and bring your laptop over here on their way." I sighed in relief. I was lucky to have such a supportive family; I wouldn't cope without them.

"Thanks, Mum." She stood up and leant over to kiss my forehead.

"I'd better get back to work now, Lex. I'll ring Mrs Lee and Jack on my way- don't worry about anything. You just concentrate on getting better." I nodded, feeling like a child, rather than a responsible, legal adult. She turned to leave, before stopping and turning to look at me.

"Oh, and there was a young man wanting to visit you. Should I send him in?"I felt my stomach flutter against my will. Maybe Will wasn't so mad after all- he'd come back! My heart leapt in my chest.

"He says his name's Sam." I tried not to let my expression drop too noticeably, but I think she saw it nonetheless.

"Oh. That's nice of him to pop by." I tried to recover. "I was on my way to see him and his soulfinder, Elinor when I got hit."

"Ah, I see. So, is Will dropping by? I mean, does he know?" She asked, feigning nonchalance. I wanted to strangle Angela for telling her Will's name. Mum was like a bloodhound- she just wouldn't stop until she got what she was after.

"He's already been." I admitted, looking down at my nails.

"Oh" Her eyes were wide- she was desperate for any scrap of information I threw at her. I didn't say any more, and after a few beats of awkward silence, Mum didn't press for more, obviously accepting that I didn't want to talk about it.

"I'll tell Sam to come in then." She said. "Now, don't worry about everything else- I'll sort it." She closed the door softly behind her, and I grabbed my phone as soon as she'd left, desperate to see if Will had replied. He hadn't. I decided to ring him to apologise once more, but it went straight through to answer phone. Swallowing the hurt, I quickly dropped my phone back into my bag, and dabbed at my eyes. I didn't want Sam to see me crying.

He arrived a few minutes later. There was a soft knock at the door, and he poked his head round once I said he could come in.

"Hey." I said with a smile, beckoning him to come and sit in the chair by my bedside.

"Alexis, I'm so sorry! I didn't realise-"

"I'm fine, Sam. Don't worry about it."

"But it is! It's my fault, Will said-" I interrupted him.

"What?" When had he seen Will?

"On the phone. He rang me, and then he saw me outside when he left. I convinced you to come and see me and Elinor, and I'm really sorry, truly. I could have killed you! I didn't realise that it would put you in danger, honest. If I had known, I never would have insisted! It's just I wanted you to meet Elinor before we left and-"

"Wait: you've seen Will?"

"Yeah, he was walking out when I was coming in. I swear the guy nearly punched me he was that mad at me."

"Really?" I asked. That was extremely out of character for him.

"Alexis, you could have died today. I'd kill anyone that tried to hurt Elinor- unintentionally or not."

"Sam, you didn't try to kill me. And I'm sorry about Will. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"He meant it alright, and I don't blame him: I'd have punched me too, but he didn't. There's nothing to apologise for."

"Likewise." I replied. "It was my decision to come and see you, Sam. These things happen. I didn't know how Will's gift worked, and now I do. No serious harm has been done- I'm fine." He tried to refute my claims, but I shushed him, instead diverting the conversation. "So, how's Elinor?" I asked.

"Good. Well, really upset about what happened with you, but well apart from that. She wanted to come and see you, but she's got a bit of a phobia about hospitals, so I told her to go home. We'd like to pop in and see you when you're feeling better, if that sounds okay?" He asked.

"That sounds lovely. I'm looking forward to meeting her." He smiled at that.

"Good. She's great- I think you two will get on really well."

"I'm glad you're happy- you deserve it. So, what happened when you went to Edinburgh to find her?" I asked. He grinned knowingly.

"You'll have to wait for that story until Elinor's with me. Apparently I don't tell it correctly." I laughed. He was obviously already well under her thumb.

We chatted happily for another hour, before Sam left to get back to Elinor. We agreed to meet at some point before they left for Edinburgh, and I was looking forward to it.

Jack popped in with my laptop soon after. He didn't stay for long as Monty was in the boot of his car, and he didn't want to leave him in there for any longer than necessary. Apparently he'd done nothing but snooze since I was out, so my accident hadn't affected his routine in the slightest. According to Jack, he was looking forward to a night of pampering at the hands of Savannah. Of course he was; Monty did not do loyalty, and if he did, I think he would be more loyal to all my family members rather than me!

With my concussion, I wasn't allowed to go to sleep until 2am at the earliest. Thinking about it, it was probably better that I wasn't at school tomorrow. I would not be able to deal with my class on less than five hours sleep without losing my temper- they tested me at the best of times. To distract myself, I emailed my lesson plans to Mrs Lee, and looked over the work I'd planned for them to do on Tuesday. Mum had come through with her, and she was, somewhat unhappily, arranging cover for me. Apparently she'd kicked up a royal fuss about it all. I wasn't surprised- I'd expected as much. I just didn't know why she insisted on being so difficult- it wasn't as if I'd deliberately gotten into an accident just so I could inconvenience her! God knew how her long-suffering husband managed to put up with her! Thankfully, my classroom helper, Annie, had stepped in to save the day, and was taking my class tomorrow. The kids all loved her, and she they. We got on well together too, so I knew she'd be fine taking over from me, which eased my worries.

Two o'clock rolled around slowly. I'd managed to go over my lesson plans for the next week twice, and watch about six re-runs of NCIS before trying to sleep. What a time to be alive!

My sleep was fitful, mind. I was moved to a regular ward once Jack had left, and had to put up with people snoring, coughing and shouting all night. I'd be glad to be back home.

I discharged myself as soon as possible, and at eight the next morning Dad dropped me home. He'd been in surgery nearly all night as there had been a really nasty collision on the M1, and three of the people were so badly injured that they'd needed immediate surgery. He was supposed to have gone home hours ago, but he always ended up volunteering to help out- he couldn't help himself.

Sam and 'Van had taken Monty to the vets with them this morning, and I was off to pick him up this evening from their house at his insistence. Apparently, he'd told Jack he'd like to spend the day at the vets making friends, rather than in the flat with me. Charming. It was nice to know my pet really loved and appreciated me.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you, Alexis?" My father asked as he stood in the living room of my flat. "I can sleep in the spare room, and I'd be there if you needed me."

"Dad, I'll be fine; go home an rest! God knows, you need it!" I said, eyeing the black bags under his eyes.

"Okay, if you're sure…" Even in my twenties Dad was still convinced I was unable to look after myself properly. "Just remember to take your antibiotics. Don't miss one, Alexis, because if you miss one-"

"They don't work." I finished for him. "I won't forget, Dad. I'll be fine- I've already taken one today."

"Good. Well, just ring if you need anything." I promised him I would, and after a cup of tea and some biscuits he was on his way home. Taking a few painkillers to numb my road rash I fired off a quick text to Rach to tell her what happened- I didn't want her to feel out of the loop. She didn't reply, but I didn't think she would- she was teaching. Undoubtedly, come break time she'd be ringing me to see what had happened.

I spent the next couple of hours sleeping and feeling sorry for myself. Will still hadn't messaged or rang me back, something I was definitely taking personally. He used to respond to all my messages immediately. Still, I guessed he must be busy with Tom in London. Well, at least that's what I told myself. I didn't like to think that he simply didn't care anymore.

At break time, as predicted, I received a worried phone call from Rach. She promised she'd come over and see me as soon as she finished at school, even thought I told her it wasn't necessary.

I also managed to ring Annie during break to see how the kids were behaving. Apparently, they were all rather well-behaved, aside from Luke Hall, not that that was surprising. Luke Hall never behaved himself… ever. She seemed to be doing fine, not that I was expecting it to have gone badly, and I looked forward forward to catching up with her tomorrow.

I was just about to head to bed to catch up on some much-needed sleep when I heard a knock at the door. It was only half ten, and I wasn't expecting any visitors.

I opened the door cautiously, wishing I had Monty here with me. He wasn't exactly a good guard dog, but he was better than nothing. He may be fickle, but he was protective of me too. I was greeted by a couple: a tall girl that looked like a model, and a man stood beside her, who was equally as handsome.

"Hi, I'm Crystal, and this is Xav." She said, indicating to the man beside her. He waved at me as she did so.

"Erm, hi." I said, wondering who on earth they were. I didn't usually get many cold callers, but when I did, they were not like these pair. "Look, if you're selling something, I'm sorry, but I'm not interested." I began to shut the door on them.

"Wait, no! We're not cold callers!" She exclaimed. "We're with Will- he's just parking his car." I opened the door fully then, and looked over them both once more. Now I thought about it, they did look familiar. They were two of the figures I'd seen in the family photograph he'd shown me.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry! I'm just over-tired I think."

"Don't worry, it's fine. I-"

"Xav, Crystal!" I heard Will call as he came around the corner, interrupting whatever Crystal was about to say. "Oh." He said, noticing that I was stood in my doorway. "I thought I told you to wait until I got here before knocking."

"Did you hear him say that, cupcake?" Xav asked, ignoring his brother and looking at Crystal.

"Now that you mention it, I did hear him say something, but I thought it was 'Don't wait until I get there.'" Crystal replied.

"You two are terrible." He growled, reaching us. "Alexis, this is my brother, Xav, he's a healer, and he's here to check you over. This is Crystal, his soulfinder. She's a soulseeker."

"Nice to meet you." I replied woodenly, holding out my hand for them both to shake. I couldn't believe Will was here: here for me! They ignored my blank expression, and shook hands with me politely. "Come in, come in." I said, ushering them into the lounge.

"Do you mind if I use your loo, Alexis, I'm bursting?" Crystal asked, crossing her legs together. It was odd, she'd seemed fine a few seconds ago.

"Sure." I replied. "Second door on your right." She nodded.

"Don't you need the loo too, Xav?" She asked him. "We've had a very long drive."

"No, cupcake, I'm fi-" She elbowed him in the ribs.

"Actually, yes, now that I think of it I do." He managed to get out, rubbing his stomach, and following her out of the room.

"We'll just leave you to, you know, chat and…" I didn't hear the rest as Crystal had dragged him out of the room before he got to finish, leaving us two alone.

**Review? I hope you liked meeting Xav and Crystal!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you for all your reviews! I wouldn't write if it weren't for your feedback. I hope you like this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review!**

"So…" I said awkwardly, looking at Will. He didn't make eye contact. "My CT scan came back clear."

"I know." He sat down on the sofa, whilst I perched on the futon next to him.

"So you got my message?"

"Yes." He didn't say anything more that. It hurt that he didn't reply, but I persevered with conversation.

"So how's Tom?"

"I wouldn't know."

"I thought you were going to pick him up from the airport." I said, awkwardly.

"I was."

"But you didn't?"

"Obviously not. I'm in Derby again, clearing up after you again." He snapped at me. I recoiled like I'd been slapped.

"I'm sorry for what happened." He ignored me. I could feel my eyes welling up. I needed to get out of there.

"I tell you what, I'll go and get us some drinks. I'm sure you're thirsty." I said, scampering past him before my tears fell. Xav and Crystal came back into the room as I did so. If they noticed my expression, they didn't say anything. "What would you two like to drink?" I asked once I was safely shielded from view in the kitchen. "Tea?"

"Yes please." They chorussed from the living room. I put the kettle on to boil, and set about making a pot of tea as slowly as I could, slamming the mugs down on the tray with a little more force than was strictly necessary. I didn't want to go back in there. I couldn't. I felt, rather than heard, someone come up behind me and I froze.

"Are you okay?" I turned to see Crystal stood, looking at me worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine." I replied, busying myself making tea. "Now, what biscuits would you like?"

"Alexis." She said softly, coming to stand beside me."Come here." She opened her arms to hug me, and I accepted the offer gratefully- I needed a hug right now, even if I was at least a head and a half smaller than her. And then the floodgates opened.

"I didn't mean it." I sobbed quietly into her shoulder. "I didn't know how his gift worked- I thought I was safe." She rubbed my back consolingly.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. He's only mad at you because he was scared that he'd lost you." I sniffled in reply.

"But you know now; that's all that matters." She continued. "You know, and it won't happen again. You'll both be fine."

"I don't know, Crystal. He doesn't seem to care anymore."

"Care? Of course he cares! Why do you think he made me and Xav divert our flight to come to London last night, rather than flying straight to New York? Why do you think he brought Xav here to check you over?"

"I don't know." I whispered, and I didn't. His actions didn't seem to tally with his words at all.

"You two have the strongest soulfinder bond I've ever seen." I looked up at her in disbelief at that.

"Really?" I asked as she unwound her arms from around my shoulders, and used the sleeve of her cardigan to blot away my tears.

"Really. Out of all the couples I've met, even Xav and I, your bond is the strongest- it's magnified tenfold. It's how you're able to sense each other all the time." I thought back to the tingling sensation I'd felt during the convention. No other savants I knew had had a connection to their soulfinder before they'd even met them.

"In fact, with you two, I just had to look at your picture to know you were his soulfinder without a shadow of a doubt. I've never had that before, that absolute certainty. You should have seen how excited he was the night before when I told him he'd meet you- I had to help him pick out his outfit and everything after he'd seen you in the lift. He was desperate to impress you." I let out a watery laugh at that- he had looked especially handsome.

"Now, let's wipe away these tears. You'll both be just fine, you just wait and see." The kettle tinged then, indicating it had boiled. I poured it teapot, grabbing the milk from the fridge and setting it all on the tray.

"I don't know, Crystal. He seems really mad- he can't even stand to look at me at the minute."

"Alexis, I can't see the future, but even I know that you two are going to work this out." I wasn't convinced by that, but I didn't voice my concerns.

"Now, let me take this." She said, picking the tray of drinks up off the counter. "And let's get Xav to check you over. If your CT scan was okay, then I'm sure you're fine and Will's just being over-protective."

"Wait, how did you know my CT scan was fine?" I asked, before we left the kitchen. She had the courtesy to blush at my question.

"Sorry, we didn't actually need the toilet- we were earwigging. Will hadn't been himself on the drive up here, and we needed to work out what was going on before we staged an intervention. Forgive me?" She asked, flashing her impossibly long eyelashes at me.

"Of course." I laughed, following her out of the kitchen. "Thank you, Crystal."

"No worries." She replied, heading towards the lounge. "I think Xav's nearly finished chatting with Will now anyway."

"Chatting?" I asked. We could hear raised voices even from the kitchen.

"Okay, reprimanding might be a better word." She grinned, and I laughed. Sure enough Will was being reprimanded by Xav, and we caught the tail end of their conversation before they realised we were there.

"Stop being such an ass. She's said she's sorry, what more do you want?"

"I told her, Xav. She promised, and she went anyway!" He yelled back.

"She didn't know how your gift worked."

"That doesn't matter: she shouldn't have gone."

"Well, I think she knows that now, don't you? Are you oblivious, or did you not just see your soulfinder running away from you in tears?" We didn't get to hear his answer as Crystal decided to announce his arrival before he could say anything else.

"Tea anyone?" She asked, putting the tray on the coffee table.

Will shook his head, but Xav responded with an enthusiastic "Yes please." Crystal poured, and I stirred in the milk and sugar for everyone, before handing them out. Xav took a sip, before putting it back on the table, and indicating for me to sit next to him.

"Right, Alexis, take a seat here and I'll have a look at you." I looked at the spot on the sofa he pointed to warily. Sitting there meant I would be sandwiched between him and Will.

"Okay." I replied shakily, putting my mug down and sitting down where he asked. I sat carefully, making sure I didn't accidentally touch Will.

"Don't sound so worried!" He said with a laugh. "It doesn't hurt. Plus, I'm actually a medical student now, so I know what I'm doing." I smiled at that, relieved that he thought it was him causing my nerves.

"Where do you study?" I asked once I was seated.

"New York. We were on our way back from Italy after visiting Crystal's family for spring vacation when Will called."

"Yeah, we're skiving at the moment, just don't tell Karla." Crystal chipped in with a wink.

"Skiving?"

"Yeah, classes started back today." He rolled up his sleeves in preparation.

"Oh God, you shouldn't have. I don't want you to miss anything!" I exclaimed. They both shrugged.

"We won't miss much." Crystal replied. "Besides, Will's paying for us to upgrade and fly back first class to say thanks, aren't you Will?" She asked cheekily, winking at me.

"Really?" Xav chirped happily.

"We'll see." He muttered. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't dare look at him. I had my body faced directly at Xav and Crystal, and I was determined to keep it that way.

"Right, Alexis." Xav said, getting down to business. "I'll look over you now, starting with your head. It may feel strange, but I assure you, there's nothing to worry about." I nodded, as he closed his eyes and let his hands rest on my head. I felt strange for a few seconds while he concentrated, and then I began to feel better. It was an odd sensation, something I couldn't quite describe.

"They were right, it was just a mild concussion, but you should feel better now." I nodded at him; I did feel better.

"Thanks. My head does feel better." I raised my hand to my head, and he smiled, satisfied with himself.

"Okay, let's have a look at your road rash next. We'll need to take the bandages off first, though." I did as he asked, and watched as the road rash disappeared right before my eyes as a result of his handiwork. I held my arm up to the light when he'd finished, inspecting it carefully.

"But how? I don't, I…"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Crystal said, grinning at her soulfinder's talents. Not wanting to linger next to a stroppy Will for any longer than necessary, I got up from the sofa.

"Thanks Xav." I said, as I began to clear up the now cold mugs of tea.

"You're welcome; anytime."

"Let's hope there's not a next time." I quipped, and he smiled.

"Very true, Alexis." Crystal agreed.

"I'll just go and put these away." I say, taking the tray into the kitchen, before coming back to the lounge. This time I deliberately seated myself away from Will, settling on the futon in between Crystal on the armchair, and Xav's end of the sofa. Will is hidden from my sight, thank goodness. I can't see if he's offended by my change of position- I'm too much of a coward to crane my head and look.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" I asked, directing my question to Xav and Crystal, ignoring Will.

"Well, we're off to Birmingham airport this afternoon to fly back to New York first class, right bro." Xav grinned, nudging Will in the ribs. He grunted in reply.

"Oh, I think we might get champagne, Xav!" Crystal beamed, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"Any excuse to get pissed, ey?" I said with a laugh. I could do with getting pissed now, and I mean completely off my tits smashed. I didn't know how much longer I could deal with a silently brooding Will- it was so awkward and unnatural.

"Exactly." Crystal agreed. "Except we don't know how to get there." She said with a sigh.

"Yeah, we're both pretty clueless with directions, but we're not as bad as Will. He can't even tell north from south and he's driving!" Xav added.

"We're never gonna get there!" Crystal moaned.

"I could come with you and navigate if you want? I've been there a few times to drop Mum and Dad off." I said without thinking. "It's only about an hour and a half away, and there's a train station at the airport. I could get the train from there to Birmingham, and then get a connecting train back to Derby."

"Really?" Crystal asked. "That would be great if you wouldn't mind. We don't want to put you out."

Shit. I'd just volunteered. Yes, that's right, bloody volunteered to spend time in a confined space with Will! What the hell was wrong with me? Couldn't I keep my great big mouth shut for once? Still, I couldn't say no now!

"No, it wouldn't put me out at all. In fact, I could have a look around the shops in Birmingham while I'm there. It's the least I could do for you both after you've come all this way to help me, and missed class." They both waved off my thanks immediately.

"This is what families do, Alexis; you don't need to thank us." Crystal implored.

"In fact, we should be thanking you- I hate early Monday morning lectures!" Xav added.

"I'll have to run into cars more often than." I joked, grinning broadly. The angry grunt from Will at that remark did not go unnoticed by me, but I chose to ignore it, changing the subject. "So, what time's your flight?"

"Four this afternoon." Crystal said. I looked at my watch; it was half ten now, and it took a little over an hour to get to Birmingham from my flat.

"Gosh, we best get going!" I exclaimed, standing abruptly. "We don't want you to miss it."

"Yes, I suppose we best be off." Crystal said, standing too. "You don't know anywhere nearby to eat do you, Alexis? It's just, we haven't eaten yet today."

"Oh God, you should have said! I could have fixed you something." I was a terrible host; my guests were starving, and I'd only offered them hobnobs!

"No, no. We just want a McDonald's or something, right cupcake?" Crystal nodded in response.

"Yeah, just a little something to tide us over before we get our three course meal in first class." She added with a wink.

"I did not agree to upgrading you both, Crystal." Will says, standing too, his car keys dangling from his hand, as if he couldn't stand to stay in my flat for a minute longer.

"If I remember correctly, Xav- and do tell me if I'm wrong, but Will, I swear you said on the phone that you'd do anything we asked for if we flew to Heathrow and came straight with you to see Alexis."

"I think you're right, cupcake. He did say something very similar to that. In fact, I think those might have been his exact words! You know Crystal, I don't think we're really taking advantage of his offer. I mean, he said anything: we should ask for a mansion, or a Ferrari, not two tiny little upgrades."

"Alright, fine you two, you can have your upgrade. Now, let's get going, or you'll miss it." He turned and left the flat, leaving the three of us stood there. Xav and Crystal high-fived each other enthusiastically in response.

"I knew we'd break him." Xav exclaimed gleefully. I laughed at the pair at them. They were terrible, really, but it was all in good spirit. I grabbed my handbag and keys and followed Will outside with Xav and Crystal trailing behind me. It was set to be a long drive.

It took us about an hour and a half to get to the airport with the roadworks, despite my local knowledge which meant we were able to save some time. I sat in the front next to Will to direct, but he didn't say a word for the entire trip. Thankfully, Xav and Crystal filled the silence with chatter. The pair of them were absolutely hilarious together, and I felt horrendously guilty for ever thinking badly of the Benedict family. Full from the McDonald's we ate en-route we arrived at the airport in time, thankfully managing to negotiate the short-stay car park. The boys grabbed their suitcases from the boot of the car, and wheeled them to the check in desk, with me and Crystal following not far behind.

"How long's the flight?" I asked.

"Long." She groaned. "More than ten hours I expect. We haven't flown from the UK to New York before. Usually we just go straight from Italy to Colorado, and then fly on to New York from there."

"Oh, I see. Where do your family live in Italy?" Will had mentioned her family lived there, but he hadn't said a specific location.

"Venice. So stereotypical, I know." She said with a laugh.

"Wow! That must be so beautiful! I'd love to go to Venice!" I said wistfully, imagining the beautiful gondolas and architecture.

"Well, you're more than welcome to stay with my family if you go. I'd say that I'd show you the sights, but I know a certain someone would be more than eager to romance you there." Her eyes moved slyly to Will. "It's where me and Xav realised we were soulfinders, and it's where my sister, Diamond, married their brother, Trace."

"I don't know, Crystal. I doubt he'll want to see me again."

"Nonesense!" She exclaimed. "Oh, and before I forget." She rifled round in her bag for a moment, before finally producing a pen and a piece of paper, which she jotted something down on before handing it to me. "This is my number. Ring me if you need anything, or if you just want a chat. I'm always here."

"Thanks." I replied gratefully. It would be nice to keep in contact with Crystal- we got on well. And it would be nice to have a friend to talk about Will to fully. Although Rach was always there to talk to, it wasn't the same as talking to another savant who knew the full story. Especially one that wasn't trying to force us together, like Alice. "I'll ring you off my phone later, so then we've got each other's."

"Perfect." She smiled happily. "It's nice to hear a British accent in amongst all the American. And, honestly Alexis- ring me whenever about whatever, okay?" I nodded at her, and promised that I would.

The boys had come to a standstill up ahead, and we hurried to reach them.

"So, this is good bye." Xav said with a sad smile. "Come here, sis!" He opened his arms for a hug from me, and I fell into them, not quite processing the familial term he'd used to identify me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Will and Crystal embrace.

"He's alright really, you know." Xav said softly in my ear. "He's being a dick now, but he'll get over it. He's just shaken that he nearly lost you. He'll come round. And, if he doesn't, you just get hold of me- I'll come and sort him out for you."

"Thanks Xav." I replied. "But I'm really not sure if-"

"He will, don't you worry." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, before letting me go to give his brother a hug. He whispered something to him too, and I saw Will nod, but I couldn't hear what was said. I embraced Crystal then, wishing them a safe flight, and promising that I'd call her soon.

With that, I watch as Will goes with them to upgrade their boarding passes, and check-in their luggage. I can't leave as I've left my handbag in his car. What a stupid thing to do! He returns to me when they're checked in, and we wave them off, watching them head through the departure gates, before turning to the exit to go back to car. An awkward silence settles between us, but I don't want to be the first to break it this time. Unfortunately, I still have to.

"I'll walk from here." I say to Will, as we leave the airport and wander back into the sunshine.

"I'll drive you."

"Honestly, I can get there myself. I just need to get my bag out of the car."

"I said I'll drive you." His tone left no room for argument, and I followed him meekly.

We climbed into the car in silence, with me simply giving him directions to the train station, even though it was only a two minute drive away and was well signposted. He followed them explicitly, but remained silent. I don't even get a grunt of assent from him. We pulled into the car park soon after. I couldn't stand the silence anymore- I'd rather he were shouting at me than saying nothing at all.

"I'm sorry." I blurted out. "I'm sorry I'm not the soulfinder you were looking for. I'm sorry I ran away for you at the convention, and I'm sorry for not following your instructions about Sam." This time I couldn't hold back the tears. I fumbled with the door handle anxiously, trying to get away from him before he saw how upset I was. I wanted to say more, but I couldn't. I scrambled out quickly, heading into the station without looking back. I guessed this would be the last time I saw Will; he'd got what he came for, I was perfectly healthy now, thanks to Xav. He'd made his feelings towards me very clear in the last few hours. I was sure I'd never see him again. I wiped away my tears frantically. I didn't want a soulfinder, but I didn't want it to end like this.

"Wait, Alexis." I hear him shout, but I keep walking. I couldn't bear to look at him right now. I didn't want my last memory of him to be this. My tears kept falling. I didn't know why I was crying, really; a couple of weeks ago this was what I wanted. I walked faster, planning on ducking in the nearest loos to sort myself out before getting the next available train. I was about to walk into the station when I felt a hand close around my wrist. It's Will.

He pulled me sharply towards him, and I lost my balance, toppling right into his arms. I tried to pull away from him, but he gripped me tighter in response.

"Hey, don't cry, I don't like it." I cry harder, and he stroked my hair soothingly as I draw in raggedy breaths.

"I'm a douche when I'm mad. I didn't mean to upset you; I was just scared. You took ten years off my life yesterday." My head was buried in his t-shirt, my tears soaking through.

"Can you stop crying for me, sweetheart?" He pleaded, pushing me off his chest gently so that he can see my face. He wiped what he could away with his fingertips.

"There. That's better, isn't it?" I nod helplessly, and he smiled.

"Now, don't say you're not what I was looking for in a soulfinder again, do you hear me?" I nodded again, still mute.

"I just want to know if the feeling's mutual. Alexis, I want to meet your family, I want to be a part of your life, but at the moment I just feel like a dirty secret you don't want anyone to know about." That stung, but he was right. I had taken him for granted and made him feel unwanted.

"I'm not asking you to shout my name from the rooftops, but letting people know I exist would be nice. Wouldn't your family want to know you'd found your soulfinder? I mean, I've told everyone I know about you!" Oh yes, yes they did. My mother would not be able to contain herself if she got to meet Will.

"Of course they would." I replied, finally managing to find my voice.

"Well why don't they? Alexis, you give me so many mixed messages, and I don't know how to interpret them!"

"I'm sorry, Will." I sniffled. I was a failure of a soulfinder, no matter what he said to try and make me feel better. "You can meet my family if you want. They'd love to meet you."

"Alexis, it's not if I want, it's if you want." He said, exasperated. "I want you to want to introduce me, not just introduce me because you feel like you have to. This thing we have- it's gotta work both ways. If you aren't sure about us, or you don't want there to be an 'us' then I'd rather you said it." He was right. Again.

"I-" I stopped. What did I want? I hadn't wanted a soulfinder, hadn't wanted to be forced into a relationship. But now… now I wasn't sure. My silence seemed to confirm what he'd feared. His shoulders slumped, and his face fell.

"No, Will, I do want to see if there can be an us."

"You sure about that?" He asked. "You don't sound convinced."

"I am." I argued, but even to my own ears it didn't sound all that confident.

"Right. I'm calling your bluff." He crossed his arms across his chest.

"What?"

"I'm offering you a deal."

"Right..." I hedged, confused by his sudden change of tact.

"I'm giving you a year." I raised my eyebrow at him. "A year to make up your mind. If, at the end of the year you decide that you don't want this then I'll go, you'll never see me again- it'll be like I don't exist. But, if you do decide that you want there to be an us, then you have to marry me." My jaw dropped at that.

"Marry you? Are you mad? Who says things like that?"

"Me. These are my terms: take it or leave it. I don't want to be led along indefinitely while you make up your mind. At least this way, I know I'll get an answer." I remained obstinate.

"And what if I don't agree to your terms?"

"Then I go now." His expression showed that he wasn't joking. I gulped.

"But what if you change your mind? What if I want to marry you, and you want to marry me?"

"Was that a proposal?" He asked cheekily, and I scowled at him.

"Just answer the question, numbnuts."

"I'm not going to change my mind, sweetheart."

"How do you know that?"

"We're soulfinders, Alexis. I don't need to know any more than that." I wished I had his confidence. I liked to get to know someone before I married them, regardless of if we were soulfinders or not.

"You aren't going to change your mind about this, are you?" I huffed. "Honestly, what would you mother say?" I continued, desperate for any other excuse I could think of.

"I'm pretty sure she'd tell me it took me long enough." Drat.

"So this is it?" I asked, still incredulous. "I agree to your terms, or I never see you again."

"Take it or leave it, Alexis." What choice did I have? As much as I hated to admit I'd been wrong before, I did want to give me and Will a shot.

"Okay, fine." I agreed. "I accept your terms."

"Sealed with a kiss?" He asked as he beamed smugly at me.

"Don't push your luck, Benedict." I growled, unhappy that he'd managed to back me into a corner, and got me to voluntarily choose the course of action he'd originally wanted. He held out his hand for me to shake, and I accepted it.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you."

"I would say likewise, but you didn't play fair." He shrugged.

"I never said I did." His phone rang then. He took it out of his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and put it back after he'd muted it.

"It's Tom. I need to get to London- he's got to go back to the States soon. I haven't seen him yet" Oops. That was my fault.

"I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. There are more important things than business." I blushed at that. "Do you want me to drive you back?"

"No, I'll be fine taking the train, but thanks."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive. Drive safely, and ring me when you get there."

"I will." He kissed me on the cheek, and headed to his car. "See you soon, sweetheart."

I stood there dazed for a few minutes. What the hell had just happened? Just what had I agreed to? Still, at least Mum would be pleased.

**Please leave a review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed. This chapter's for you. Enjoy! I know it's not much, but it does give you some more information about Alexis' family.**

28:

The train ride passed in a bit of a blur. I didn't bother looking round Birmingham in the end- I was a bit, well a tad more than a bit, shell shocked by what had just happened. Still, it was just as well- I didn't have much of my pay cheque left this month. Thankfully it was pay day on Friday. It had been a very expensive couple of weeks.

As it was still early afternoon the trains were nearly empty- my fellow passengers comprised mainly of old gossiping ladies using their free OAP travel passes while they could. As a result, I easily got a seat, pulling up at Derby train station a little over an hour from when I'd first left Birmingham.

From Derby, I got a connecting train to the centre of town. It was cheaper than getting a taxi as I could walk to my flat directly from the station, and I liked to take the opportunity to stretch my legs. On the way, I rang Rach and told her that she needn't bother coming round to visit me that evening. For starters, I'd have great difficulty explaining how the severe road rash I'd described in graphic detail had suddenly disappeared in a matter of hours, and second, I needed time to process what had just happened. Thankfully, she was able to answer my call as the schools had just been let out. Instead of telling her the complete truth, I told her I wasn't feeling up to visitrs as I hadn't managed to sleep very well at the hospital, and I wanted to look over tomorrow's lesson plans. It wasn't entirely false: I was shattered as I'd been out all day on practically no sleep, and I did need to look over my lesson plans for tomorrow, but I still felt bad for lying to my best friend. Luckily, she bought it, and we arranged for her to come and pick me up for netball training on Wednesday. No doubt she'd grill me then, but at least I'd have time to prepare a story to explain my miraculous recovery.

As soon as I got in, I headed straight to Jack and Van's surgery to pick up Monty, not that he'd be at all pleased to see me. Their surgery was open until five, so I knew they'd still be in. The receptionist ushered me straight through to Jack's room when I arrived- I was a regular here. Both me and Monty it seemed, had a tendency to injury ourselves more frequently than most. I saw a client exit Jack's room, just as I was about to enter. They had a Dalmatian trotting alongside them, whose head was now encased in a large plastic cone. Knocking before I entered, I opened the door to see Jack washing his hands at the sink.

"Hey, Lex." He turned to look at me as he spoke, drying his hands on a paper towel, which he then deposited in the bin under the operating table.

"You look much better, Lex. Wait! Where's the…" He trailed off, perplexed, using his finger to indicate where my road rash had been just a few hours ago.

"Burns?" I asked, grinning at his shocked expression.

"Yeah. Yeah, the burns. Just how did they disappear so quickly?"

"My friend's brother is a healer." I explained, and he nodded in understanding. Now I knew Will wanted my family to know about him, but I wasn't quite ready to drop the soulfinder bombshell just yet. I had to work up to that.

"Ah. I see. Well, if he ever needs a job…" He trailed off, his intentions clear. I laughed as he took my forearm, twisting it to examine if fully. "This is incredible! There's not even a scar!"

"He's good, right? I'll pass the message on, but I doubt he'll take you up on it, unfortunately, even though he would be an excellent addition to the team. He's a med student from America, so I doubt he'll want to become a vet in Derbyshire."

"Shame. Still, what a gift to have, hey?"

"Yeah, very handy. Mum and Dad would find it so useful." It was no wonder Xav decided to be a doctor with his talents. Mum and Dad would be so envious.

"Yeah, greenfingeredness and being able to breathe underwater aren't exactly the most useful gifts to have when pursuing a medical career."Jack added, and he was right. Dad would have maybe been better as a landscape gardener, and Mum could have been a world champion free diver, yet they'd both chosen medical school instead. It was where they'd met, in fact. They'd hated each other at first: Dad was a player who'd tried to pull Mum before he'd realised she was his soulfinder. Mum, on the other hand, had hated Dad because he was cocky; he could do well in tests without even having to study, and took every opportunity to flaunt his talents.

They'd finally realised they were soulfinders on a night out in second year when they were both pissed. Yes, I mean both intoxicated and mad at each other. They'd argued, Mum had, without thinking, yelled at him telepathically and the rest was history. They'd spent the rest of the night attached at the lips, and staggered home together. Well, at least that's what their uni friends told us really happened; Mum and Dad told it very differently. They left out his playboy nature, their drunkenness and the fact that they both fell into bed together immediately afterwards.

"True. Still, they haven't done badly." And they hadn't. They'd both managed to have successful careers, regardless of their gifts. It also meant that Dad had a beautiful garden, and that we were all good swimmers. As kids, we always went on holidays near the sea, so that Mum could go and swim amongst the fish and coral reefs, giving her the chance to fully use her gift, undetected. If she went to the swimming baths she'd usually forget to breathe, especially when she played octopushy: a strange game, which was essentially hockey under water. Her not surfacing for ten minutes often resulted in lifeguards jumping in to save her, and her having to give some ridiculous explanation as to why she could hold her breath for so long whilst doing exercise. Needless to say, she had to give up soon after to avoid all the unwanted questions she couldn't give answers to.

"No." Jack echoed. "It's great that they are doctors, really. I mean, they're always having to patch you up." His expression turned serious then.

"Please try and be more careful though, Lex. There are some things even a savant healer can't fix."

"I will, Jack." I promised. He was such a worry wart- exactly like Dad. No wonder he drove Savannah round the bend at times.

"See that you do. Now I'm guessing you're here for Monty?"

"Got it in one." I replied.

"I'll get Melanie to take you through. Mel!" He shouted out the door. Mel was his veterinary nurse, and was absolutely lovely. I'd gotten to know the forty year old well, due to mine and Monty's numerous visits. She came in moments later, dressed in her scrubs.

"Could you take Alexis to get Monty, please?" He asked her.

"Sure." She replied, smiling at me. "He's very popular, Alexis. His presence is causing chaos amongst the females!"

"Why am I not surprised?" I groaned. Monty was such a little Casanova!

"Oh, and Lex." Jack said, just as Mel and I were about to leave. "Call in on 'Van on your way out, would you? I'm sure she'd like to see you."

"Sure." I promised. "See you soon, Jack." Closing the door behind us, I followed Mel to where the dogs were being kept. Sure enough, Monty was the centre of attention and absolutely loving every moment. I had to fight to get him away, much to Mel's amusement. Honestly, Monty would be delighted if I just left him there indefinitely.

Before I left, I called in on 'Van briefly. I didn't stay for long as she was in-between patients, and I didn't want to mess up her schedule, but I talked to her for long enough to know that Jack's over-protectiveness was driving her batty, and that she had ordered even more nursery furniture, which I said I'd come and help her set up. I honestly didn't know what else she could possibly need, but I didn't voice my opinions. I didn't want to upset a pregnant lady, especially one as lovely as my sister-in-law. We also agreed that we needed to go baby shopping soon- I couldn't wait to start buying cute little outfits for my niece or nephew! Savannah had a feeling that she was having a girl, but as they had decided not to know the sex, we'd have to wait for a few more months to find out. For now, I'd have to stick to buying neutral baby grows; the real spending could begin once the baby was born, even though that was so far away! Saying good bye quickly, I headed off home just as her next patient, a loudly miaowing kitten and its rotund owner walked through the door. I did not envy Savannah having to deal with that!

The rest of the evening passed quickly once I'd made it home. Sam rang almost as soon as I passed through the door to see how I was. I explained that Will had sent Xav to fix me up, but I neglected to mention the deal we'd made. I didn't know quite how he'd react to that. I didn't know how to react to it, but I felt it should stay between us. As he and Elinor were heading up to Edinburgh soon, and I wanted to see them before they went, we arranged to meet up on Tuesday evening. As I taught netball after school to the older girls at my school, I didn't finish until half four on a Tuesday, so Sam and Elinor offered to make me tea later that evening. It meant I'd have time to go home and mark the day's work before meeting them later at seven. Elinor was cooking her famous ravioli again. Hopefully I'd get to eat it this time, but I was going to check with Will first. One near miss was one too many as far as I was concerned.

I rang Will as soon as I got off the phone with Sam. I'd completely forgotten to text him to tell him that I'd gotten in safely, and I was hoping he had to- he should have been in London for a couple of hours by now. It rang a few times before he answered.

"Hey, Alexis. I take it you got home safely?" He answered.

"Yeah, I did, thanks. Sorry, I forgot to ring you. I've been back for a few hours now. Have you got to London yet?"

"Yeah, I've just got here. The traffic was horrendous- there was an accident on the M1 and we came to a standstill. I swear we never have this many accidents in the states. It's quite mad! Not to mention the speed limits for miles with all the roadworks!"

"Welcome to the U.K." I replied wryly. Traffic jams were to be expected and embraced.

"Thanks. Look, Lex, I've got to go- I've got a conference call that I can't miss. Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

"Oh. Sorry. I just wanted to check if it's okay for me to go and see Elinor and Sam tomorrow. It's just I wanted to meet her before they go back up to Edinburgh."

"Alexis, I'm not your keeper. You don't have to ask my permission to do things."

"Yes, but-"

"You're safe, Alexis. I'll warn you not to go somewhere well beforehand if it puts you in danger. Okay?"

"Okay." I echoed.

"Right. Now I've really got to go, sweetheart. You sure there's not anything else?" He asked. I could hear people chattering on the other end of the line.

"No that's all. Good luck with your call."

"Thanks. I'll speak to you soon." And with that he hung up.

**Elinor will be introduced in the next chapter, so if you want to meet her at last, please leave a review. Reviews made me write and update quicker! Thanks x**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews; I love reading them! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for- we finally get to meet Elinor. I hope you like her as much as I do. Please leave a review to tell me what you thought! Thanks x**

29:

Tuesday morning came more quickly than I'd anticipated. I'd barely had time to walk Monty and eat my tea before I'd crawled into bed, exhausted.

Thankfully an early night had done wonders in restoring my energy levels, and I was now ready to face the day, and 30 unruly kids. I took Monty for a quick walk as soon as I woke, before showering and changing into my work clothes.

I arrived at school early. Well, 7.45. I considered it early anyway, because school didn't start until 8.45. Luckily, there was no mandatory staff meeting to attend as it was Tuesday- thank God! I could only just deal with Mrs Lee lecturing us all once a week on a Monday, and even that was a struggle! This was why, at 8.15, I was dismayed to see her waddle into my classroom. I schooled my face into a polite mask, and smiled welcomingly at her. Well, as welcoming as I could make my smile when I so obviously didn't want her there.

"Mrs Lee, what can I do for you?" I asked. I didn't dare call her by her Christian name of June. We weren't on first name terms; I doubted we ever would be. I still felt like a child in her presence, and that was how she liked it.

"Alexandra. Back at work at last I'm pleased to see." I tried not to scowl at her. She always got my name wrong on purpose. Her tone indicated that she was anything but pleased to see me, despite the fact that she'd done nothing but show her displeasure at me having not one, but two days off. It didn't help that if you took out the Easter holidays my absences were on consecutive days. Two flipping days in a whole year!

"Yes." I replied, glad to see that she was happy I was alright. Not.

"You've healed up well. One could barely tell you were in an accident." She continued in her saccharinely sweet tone. Her plump lips, covered in plum lipstick, smacked together as she spoke. Only Mrs Lee would have the gall to insinuate that someone was lying about being involved in an accident to avoid a day's work.

Thankfully Annie, my classroom helper, walked in before I could respond- I doubted I would have been able to hold my tongue otherwise, and I could do without losing my job.

"Oh, Annie." She crooned, turning her attention away from me. "I see you've decided to arrive on time today." Annie had been late for one staff meeting before Christmas because her car broke down, and the AA hadn't come quickly enough for her to be on time for the meeting. Although this was no fault of her own, Mrs Lee hadn't let her forget it, bringing it up at every available opportunity. She relished knowing that Annie couldn't put up much of a fight for fear of losing her job.

"Yes, Mrs Lee." Annie replied neutrally. She gave no indication that Mrs Lee's words had affected her; she wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

Obviously disappointed that she'd had no effect on Annie's sunny disposition Mrs Lee took her leave, much to our relief.

"Vindictive old bag." I muttered to Annie as soon as she was out of earshot.

"Agreed." She said with a smile.

"So, how were the kids yesterday?" I asked.

"Well…" She started. I groaned inwardly. Obviously the kids had not been as well behaved as I'd thought.

As it turned out, Luke Hall had not been an angel, which was hardly a surprise. He'd hidden half the class's lunch boxes, meaning that those individuals had had to have school dinners that day. I'd have to reprimand him when he got in now that we knew he was the culprit. The boy was out of control; even getting his parents in to discuss his behaviour had no effect. They didn't seem to care, or, instead, refused to believe what I told them he'd done.

Fortunately, my class managed to behave themselves for me. Word of my accident had got round, and they seemed almost wary of me, as if causing me to raise my voice would result in further injury. Even Luke was on his best behaviour!

Unfortunately, however, netball training after school didn't go quite so smoothly. Half way through, the heavens opened, and I was forced to take the now sopping wet girls inside to get changed. As there was only half an hour of training left by the time they got changed, I didn't bother to ring their parents, and instead put on a film to keep them entertained.

The film also gave me the opportunity to check my phone whilst the girls were distracted. I'd texted Will last night, and again at lunch to see how he was doing. He'd replied yesterday, saying that the conference call had gone well, and that he was sat looking over their systems with Tom, but I hadn't had chance to check my phone since lunch to see if he'd replied. Sliding it out of my bag sneakily, I saw that he'd sent me two photographs, which I opened immediately.

The first was of a ginormous buffet, full of delectable treats that made my mouth water and my stomach growl. I knew he'd been in meetings today- he'd mentioned it yesterday, but he'd neglected to mention that the meetings were just an excuse to eat! Jealous, I clicked on the second picture, which was of his plate. Well, I presumed it was a plate; the food was piled so high on it that I couldn't actually make out the utensil.

He'd captioned them 'Buffet: American style x' with an emoji- the one with two love hearts for eyes, followed by a kiss- our signature send-off.

'Careful, you'll get fat, Benedict x' I responded, using a winking face to show I was teasing.

He replied instantly with another picture, which I opened immediately. I should not have. It was a photo of him, topless, working out at a gym. My mind turned to mush as I couldn't help but trace the hard lines of his abs with my finger.

"Miss?" A voice yelled, bringing me out of my Will-induced stupor. My phone fell to the floor as I came back to the real world with a thump.

"Miss Anderson, the film's stopped." I looked at the screen blankly, still rather dazed.

"Oh yes, so it is, Isabelle. Sorry guys, I'll sort it out." Deftly picking my up from the floor I dropped it on my desk, face down, before turning to my computer and getting the film going again. Hopefully the class hadn't noticed my flushed cheeks, or the drool. I'm joking; I wasn't drooling, was I? I lifted my hand to my face to check. No; no drool, thank God!

Once I was convinced that they were all, once again, sufficiently distracted by the film I picked up my phone again. I'd got another text from Will.

'Tell me this body is fat! X' He was right. He didn't have an ounce of fat on him. My phone tinged again as I was trying to formulate a response.

'What's up, Lex? Cat got your tongue? X' Bloody read receipts! He knew full well I'd seen his photo, and he was loving being able to gloat about my lack of a response.

'I'm teaching! X' I sent back.

'Yeah, yeah. I'll leave you to it, Teach. Don't let me distract you too much X' I didn't reply to that. Instead, I slid my phone back into my bag and grabbed the pile of maths books I'd set aside to take home and mark. Maybe marking long division would get my mind out of the gutter.

It was 4.45 before the last child was collected by her eternally late mother. Once she'd gone I packed up quickly, chatting to Tracey the cleaner briefly, before heading home to get ready to meet Sam and Elinor. I took Monty for a walk when I got in, before showering and changing into some dry clothes and settling down to start marking. I'd managed to mark half of my class's maths books during what should have been netball training, but I hadn't been able to concentrate very well for obvious reasons. Will should not be allowed to take topless photos. No, ignore that; he definitely should, just not whilst I was surrounded by children, and had to keep my thoughts PG. I really didn't want them to think I had perpetually red cheeks and drooling issues.

At 6.45, I got into my car to go and see Sam and Elinor at Sam's house, which was just on the outskirts of town, a couple of miles from my flat. Monty was accompanying me on my trip as Sam had said that he was more than welcome to come too. I'd loaded his bed and collapsible water bowl into the boot before we'd set off. Despite Will's insistence that that I didn't need to inform him of my every move, I still texted him to let him know that I was going just in case. It made me feel better, even if it was a bit unnecessary.

I'd already picked up some flowers on my way home from work to give to Elinor. They seemed like an appropriate 'thanks for having me' gift. I would have bought wine, but I didn't know either of their preferences. Still, you couldn't go wrong with flowers really, could you? I mean, everyone liked flowers. Right? Well, I hoped they did; I was half way there now, and I didn't have time to go back and buy something else. Hopefully she wasn't a chronic hay fever sufferer!

I pulled up at the secluded, detached house on the outskirts of town not long after. Checking the address against the one Sam had texted me, I was pretty certain I was in the right place. Grabbing the bouquet of flowers, I went to the boot to collect Monty and his possessions, before making my way to the front door and ringing the doorbell. I was never completely sure I was at the right house until the person I'd come to see answered. I'd always had an irrational fear of knocking at the wrong person's house.

The doorbell had barely had chance to chime when a redhead came barrelling out the door towards me, nearly knocking me clean off my feet. Monty yipped in fright at her sudden emergence, cowering behind my legs. She threw her arms around me, and I hugged her back, awkwardly grappling with Monty's things and the flowers.

"Oh, Alexis!" She cried in a distinctively lilting Scottish accent. "I'm so sorry for what happened!" Looking over her shoulder I saw Sam round the corner with a grin.

"Elinor, let her go; you'll scare her off." He chided teasingly, affirming my suspicions that she was the very lady I'd come to meet. She pulled away sheepishly, allowing me to look at her fully. She was a pretty redhead, possessing the distinctive freckles and pale skin that came with her colouring. Poker straight red hair fell down to her waist, accentuated by a muted red lipstick. Her eyes were big and green- like a green glass bottle when it catches the light. She was tall too. Taller than me, but still half a head smaller than Sam, who had now sidled closer to her and slipped his arm around her waist. They looked good together. Really good. It was as if one of those perfect couples you see on TV adverts had walked straight off of the set and into Sam's house.

"Since we've skipped the introductions." Sam said with grin. "I presume you know each other. But, Alexis, in case you're unfamiliar with strangers throwing themselves at you: this my soulfinder, Elinor. Elinor, this is my friend, Alexis." Laughing, I held out the now somewhat battered flowers for her to take.

"It's lovely to finally meet, you Elinor."

"Likewise." She said with a smile, taking the flowers from me. "Wow, Alexis! These are beautiful, thank you! You shouldn't have! Sam, smell them- they're gorgeous!" I watched with a laugh as the nearly whacked Sam in the face with the bouquet in her attempts to let him sniff them.

"Yes, they're quite lovely." He agreed. "Thank you, Alexis. Now, come on, come through- dinner's nearly ready."

"Oh shit, I left the ring on!" Elinor cried, handing Sam the flowers and practically running out of the room. "I hope I've not burnt it all!"

"It'll be fine, El!" Sam shouted, but I was pretty sure she didn't hear him; I could hear banging coming from what I could only assume was the kitchen.

"Here, let me take these, Alexis." Sam said, taking Monty's bed and bowl off me, and heading off to follow Elinor, with me following behind. The corridor led to a modern kitchen and open-plan dining area which looked out over the garden via patio doors. Monty, suddenly perking up at the sight of some lush grass for him to roll in, ran over to the doors, and started scratching at the glass.

"Monty!" I yelled, yanking at his lead before he could make too many mucky paw prints on the clean panes.

"Don't worry, Alexis. He can go out if he wants." Sam said, dropping his bed next to the door and looking around for the keys.

"Are you sure, Sam? I don't want him to ruin your flowerbeds." I thought back to how he'd ruined Dad's flowers almost beyond repair.

"Definitely. I only really have grass out there, anyway." He produced a key from a drawer, and opened the patio. I unclipped Monty's lead, and watched him run out into the garden, lolloping happily through the grass.

"Have a seat." Sam invited, indicating to the stools around the island in the centre of the kitchen, whilst he found a vase for the flowers.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked.

"A glass of water would be great, thanks."

"Anything for you, El?"

"Water too please." She said, still wrestling with the ravioli. Seemingly satisfied that it was back under control, she turned down the heat and filled up the three glasses Sam passed to her. Sam brought them over, whilst Elinor handed out knives and forks, which I set along the counter in preparation.

"It's ready." Elinor said with a smile, pulling out three plates from an overhead cabinet and serving a hearty helping of ravioli onto each one. Sam them took them from the counter and placed them on the table, holding out a stool for Elinor to sit on.

"Wow, this looks delicious!" I exclaimed, inhaling the typically Italian aroma. It was divine.

"You'll have to try it first." Elinnor responded modestly. "I've tried my best with it, but I'm not sure if it's that nice."

"It's great, and you know it." Sam responded, rubbing her shoulder fondly. "Dig in everyone!" He cried with gusto, prompting Elinor and I to snicker at him. He was right, though- it was truly delicious- the best ravioli I'd ever tasted. I had to physically stop myself from practically inhaling the whole plate.

"So," I started, setting my fork down and picking up my water to take a sip. "What happened with you two? Sam wouldn't tell me at the hospital and I'm dying to know." They smiled at each other.

"Should I start?" Sam asked Elinor.

"Yes. You tell the first bit, and I'll tell Alexis what really happened when you turned up in Edinburgh."

"Okay, so I left your house a day earlier than Catherine thought I would be home, having decided that it was over between us, and that I was going to go and find Elinor. I'd told her that I was gone for the weekend, and that I'd be back on Monday morning, but would only be home briefly as I'd have to go back to work." I nodded- I already knew that bit.

"So, as it was still early on a Sunday morning and I was expecting her to be asleep, I came home and opened the door really quietly, not wanting to wake her. When I did, I heard strange noises coming from upstairs."

"Oh.." I enquired. This was not how I was expecting this story to progress.

"So, I thought Cath was in trouble- that there was a burglar or something. Because I thought she was in danger, I used my power." Invisibility. Of course! What better way to see what was going on than to be sneak in invisible? Genius.

"So, I crept up the stairs silently, grabbing the mop from under the stairs."

"Wait." I interrupted. "You grabbed a mop? Why?"

"Yeah, a mop. It was for protection." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Elinor snickering at him. Who wouldn't? A mop was surely up there in the most ridiculously useless implements to grab for a fight.

"Seriously? You went for a mop?"

"It was all I could find at the time!" He defended himself.

"And what were you going to do with it? Clean the intruder from head to toe?"

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not, Alexis?" He asked, pretending to be angry, but barely managing to conceal his own smile.

"No, sorry. Do continue- I won't interrupt again. So, you, invisible, made your way up the stairs with a mop to fight off this intruder?" I couldn't see James Bond adding a mop to his assortment of weapons, but it would make the next film far more interesting.

"Yes." He affirmed with a nod. I tried not to laugh at the image I'd conjured in my head of the incident. With Sam being invisible, to any bystander it would look as if the mop were simply floating up the stairs by itself!

"So, I got to the top of the stairs, and I saw that the sounds were coming from our bedroom. By this time, I was very worried- I thought that Cath was in real danger. I got closer, opened the door and.." He paused for dramatic effect.

"And what, Sam?" I cried, desperate to know what had happened.

"I thought you weren't going to interrupt anymore, Alexis." He said, with a quirk of his eyebrow, and I scowled in response. I had already broken my word.

"Stop teasing, Sam." Elinor chastised him, spearing a piece of pasta with her fork. "Tell her what happened next." I grinned at her in thanks. At least someone knew how annoying it was to be kept in suspense.

"I found her in bed with our next door neighbour." If I'd had anything in my mouth it would have gone straight over the table after hearing that.

"What?" I spluttered. "As in…" I made some gestures with my hands to demonstrate what I couldn't manage to say.

"Yes. That." He confirmed. "I dropped the mop, switched off my power, and revealed myself. They both screamed, but she didn't even try to deny it- she'd been caught in the act. I told her to get out within 24 hours because I didn't want to see her again. The house was mine- I paid for it, and it was in my name, so she didn't even have a leg to stand on."

I was speechless. That was certainly not what I'd expected to have happened! Thank goodness he'd decided to go and find Elinor after all!

"So, after that, I threw all of Catherine's stuff into boxes ready for her to get out, and packed a bag for myself. I decided that I'd head straight up to Edinburgh the next day because I had to go to the office to finish off some stuff first- I'd decided to take a week's holiday at short notice, so couldn't leave immediately. Then, I rang Elinor to say I was coming, but-"

"I said I wanted nothing to do with him." Elinor continued. "He'd broken my heart- I certainly didn't want to see him again."

"I am sorry for that, El."

"I know." She replied simply. "And I forgive you. I'm glad you came, even though I was a bitch on the phone." She kissed him chastely on the lips, and he seemed appeased- his eyes shining with warmth as he looked at her.

"Then what?" I asked, interrupting their moment. I couldn't help myself- I needed to know what happened next!

"Well, because Elinor wasn't co-operating, and I only had her name and phone number to go on, I rang the Net for help. They were very obliging- they gave me her address and everything."

"Seriously?" I questioned. "That's not their protocol, is it?" Surely the Net wasn't allowed to give out personal details, even if they were soulfinders. I mean, I knew that Will had done just that to find me, but that was different- his parents practically set up the bloody corporation, and he was responsible for looking after savants' details. He could easily look me up. Sam blushed at my question.

"Well, I think they only gave me Elinor's address, because I helped them out the night before." I arched my eyebrow at that.

"Yes…" I said, urging him to continue and explain himself. I knew exactly what he meant there; he was the person that rang them to tell them that Will had misunderstood the relationship between him and I.

"I would say I was sorry, Alexis, but I'm not. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have found El, and you and Will wouldn't be together."

"We're not together!" And we weren't. Not officially, at least. I didn't know what we were still.

"Whatever you say, Alexis." He intoned, and I scowled at him in response. Why did everyone think we were together? Sure, we were soulfinders, and it did seem like we were more than friends, but nothing was definite!

"Right, so they gave me El's address, I finished off at work, and decided to set off early the next morning. Catherine came round that night to collect her belongings and I haven't seen her since."

"Good riddance!" I muttered.

"Quite." He agreed, with a quirk of his lips.

"So, at two in the morning I set off." I choked on a piece of ravioli.

"Two? As in 2am- the middle of the night 2am?"

"Yes." He said, picking up a piece of pasta to eat himself, as if it was totally normal to set off to meet someone at two am.

"Why?"

"Well, I wanted to catch her before she went to work." Okay, that did make sense, but 2am did still seem a little ridiculous.

"So I got to Edinburgh at about half six, as all the roads were practically empty." It was no wonder. Who in their right mind, apart from freight drivers, would want to go anywhere at 2am? "And I found Elinor's house at about 7. I got out of my car and knocked on her door." I was practically vibrating at this point- it was so romantic! I couldn't wait to hear how he swept her off her feet.

"She opened it, saw it was me, and slammed the door in my face." I looked across at Elinor to see if he was telling the truth. Surely, that didn't happen!

"I did." She agreed. "I didn't want anything to do with you."

"I knocked a few more times, and she told me to go away, but I didn't. Instead, I used my power when I was standing outside the door. I thought that she'd see the coast was clear, come out, and then I'd pounce. She wouldn't be able to get back inside without talking to me first, and I'd follow her if she ran off."

"Geez, stalker much, Sam?" I inserted cheekily.

"Exactly, Alexis! Thankfully, he hadn't banked on me being a tracker."

"A tracker?" I'd only heard of those on wildlife shows. They were able to look at animal tracks and deduce what creature had made them.

"It means that once I've met someone and seen what their energy looks like, I can find where they are. It doesn't matter where on earth they go- I can still tell you where they are."

"So, you can tell what country they're in?"

"Yes, but more than that. I can pinpoint exactly where they are- down to which room in a house they're in."

"Woah! That's incredible!" I exclaimed. That was an awesome power to have! She could track anyone on the planet, knowing if they'd moved even so much as from their kitchen to the bathroom. I was blown away.

"It does come in handy." She admitted with a blush. "So, Sam's invisibility didn't fool me for a minute- I knew he was out there, so I used the back door to go to work instead."

"And I was left sat outside her flat for hours." I sniggered at that; poor Sam outside knocking, when he didn't even realise she wasn't there!

"Eventually, I realised she had either gone, or wasn't coming out, so I went to a hotel to check- in and get something to eat, before working out what to do. I camped outside her flat for two more days until I realised this plan wasn't going to work, so I tried something else."

"What did you do?" I was enthralled, hooked on his every word. It was like a romance novel come to life!

"I rang the Net again, and found out where she worked. I figured she might talk to me if we were in a public place, as she couldn't get away from me so easily."

"Honey, you sound like a serial killer." Elinor laughed. "Honestly, 'she couldn't get away so easily'." I laughed with her. He did sound somewhat psychotic when he put it like that.

"I prefer perseverant." He said, mulling over his word choice.

"Agreed." I echoed.

"Seconded." Elinor chipped in.

"Okay, so I figured she'd finally bow to my perseverance if we were in a public place. Better?" We both nodded at that, and he continued.

"The Net told me she worked at a playgroup, so I drove there the next morning, and told the lady on reception that I was looking for Elinor. She didn't trust me at first, but after she heard my story: how there had been a big misunderstanding, and I loved her, and just wanted to see her, she let me right in."

"I was in the middle of finger painting with a bunch of three year olds when he popped in through the door with a great big grin on his face, while I had paint all over me."

"You looked beautiful."

"I didn't, but thank you."

"So, the receptionist, who was really on my side by now, told the children that they should tell Elinor to give me a chance because I'd driven all the way from England to see her and apologise."

"Jo is such a romantic, that he'd nearly had her in tears with his sob story about there being a big misunderstanding." He grinned at that, and Elinor shook her head in amusement at his antics.

"What can I say? I'm a romantic, and there was a misunderstanding."

"So all the kids start chanting at me to give him a chance, and I had no choice but to say yes." Sam was beaming broadly by now, still ecstatic that things had worked out so well. I didn't know if he was clever or sly to use children to get Elinor.

"I took her out for dinner once she'd finished work, and we never looked back." They smiled at each other fondly, reminiscing over the moment.

"Which brings us onto my, well our, big news." I waited, open mouthed, for him to continue.

"I'm moving to Edinburgh permanently." He exclaimed gleefully.

"What?" I thought he'd meant they were going up to Edinburgh for a week or something, not staying there indefinitely!

"We're leaving at the end of this week." He continued. "There's nothing tying me here. Mum and Dad love Elinor, and are keen for me to go, and my work were opening a new office in Edinburgh anyway. They've said I can be the new manager, as they were looking for someone like me."

"Wow, you guys! That's great!" And it was. Although I'd miss them both, even though I'd only known them for a short time, I was glad that they were happy. They suited one another and they deserved it.

We chatted well into the night, long after everyone had eaten the rest their ravioli, and I learnt a lot about the pair of them. It had also cemented my initial impression that Elinor was absolutely lovely. She was far better for Sam than Catherine ever could have been. I didn't even have to meet the women to know that. It saddened me to think someone was capable of hurting someone in such a way, and yet feel no remorse.

Monty was fast asleep in his bed by the time I decided to head home. He'd spent most of the evening chasing around the garden trying to chew his tail. Sam had had to re-fill his water bowl twice- he was that de-hydrated by his efforts.

I lifted him up into my arms and cradled him to my chest to carry him to the car, whilst Sam brought his bed and bowl. Thanking Sam and Elinor for having me, I headed home. I didn't know when I'd next see them both, but they made it clear that I was welcome to go up and stay with them whenever I wanted. I'd definitely have to take them up on that offer. Edinburgh had always been somewhere I'd wanted to viplsit.

I relayed all this to Will once I got home. I'd taken to ringing him in the evening as a way of keeping in contact. I liked it, although I had nearly fallen asleep when he started explaining computer programming to me. Computing wasn't my thing- it never would be. He, on the other hand, enjoyed taking the opportunity to ask me what I thought of his gym photo, and found great amusement in my inability to answer him. He could be a cocky little son of a gun at times. We called it a night when I actually nodded off mid-conversation, much to my embarrassment and his amusement, promising that we'd call each other tomorrow.

**Please leave a review! I will put the next chapter up if I hit 372. Otherwise, it will go up on Friday, as long as I can still get on the wifi! Hugs x**


	30. Chapter 30

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I'm glad you liked Elinor! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Some of you mentioned you wanted some more Alexis/Will (Lill- thank you to Sweetcang for creating their ship name), and there's some coming up here and in the next few chapters, so keep your eyes peeled! Anyway, enough rambling from me! Here's the chapter, I hope you like it. Please leave a review to tell me what you thought!**

30:

Wednesday evening was upon me before I knew it, and after a busy day at school, I was running down the stairs towards Rach's car as she'd just arrived to collect me for netball training.

I'd decided that if she asked about my already healed burns, I'd say that I'd been given a new, experimental salve to try and that had managed to heal them, as they looked worse than they actually were. It was the best thing I could come up with, but Rach wasn't stupid; if she pushed me on the salve I knew I'd crack. I was a terrible liar. In order to prevent her from getting too curious, I'd deliberately worn a long sleeved thermal, on the pretence that I was wearing it to keep my burns from further damage, but it was really so she didn't push me on it. This way, as far as she was concerned, I was still healing. The less she knew, the better. Well, at least that was what I told my guilty self.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I headed out into the car park to see Rach waiting for me. Without further ado, I climbed into the passenger seat, throwing my kit bag over the console and onto the back seats, where it landed with a thump.

"Hey, Lex! How are you feeling? You're not having much luck lately, are you sweet?" Once I'd fastened my seatbelt she pulled out of the car park and onto the road.

"No, not really, Rach." I said with a laugh. "But I'm okay. How are you?"

"Good, thanks. How are you healing up?"

"Well, thanks. I'm keeping my burns covered to protect them." I lied, indicating to the long-sleeved thermal I was sporting.

"Good idea. We can't have you injuring yourself anymore. We don't have enough subs to replace you."

"Netball's always first right, Rach?" I answered with a wink.

"You got it!" She joked. "So where's Will?"

"Oh, he's working." I replied. I knew it wouldn't be long before she was quizzing me about him.

"London again?" She asked, looking over at me as she changed gears. I nodded.

"When will you see him next, then?"

"I don't know. He usually comes up on weekends, but he hasn't said anything."

"He comes up from London every weekend to see you?" I nodded. That was essentially what happened.

"Or wherever else he's been." I added as an afterthought.

"Why don't you go and visit him? It's bank holiday weekend- he'll at least have Monday off, surely. And there's no netball this weekend, so you can go for the whole three days and Friday night." That was true. My lesson plans were all up to date- I'd even done next week's, and if I did my marking in my lunch hour on Friday, then I wouldn't have to feel guilty about not working on the weekend. I wouldn't get a better weekend to go and visit him than this.

"I don't know, Rach. He'll probably still be busy."

"People are always busy, Lex. If you don't go now, when will you? Dan used to love it when I'd show up at his university unexpectedly, and vice versa. What's there to lose?"

"Yeah, but he's been really busy lately, Rach. I don't want to turn up and be any more of a nuisance than I already am. He's been up here looking after me enough lately- he's got to get some work done, and I don't want to disturb him."

"Stop making excuses, Lex. If he keeps coming up here then surely that's an even better reason to go and see him- you get to do the travelling for once."

I sat back and thought about it. Maybe Will would like me to visit him. We could do plenty of touristy things together in London, and even if he was too busy to spend time with me then at least I'd tried. Besides, I'd be perfectly content to wander round London on my own for a weekend if necessary. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as I was mulling it over, and I pulled it out to look at it. It was from Alice.

'Go. He'll be pleased to see you. Use the vouchers.' I smiled.

"You know, Rach. I think you're right. Maybe I should go." She grinned, happy I was taking her advice.

"Good. You can thank me next week at training. You've got nothing to worry about, Lex- he'll love it! I mean, jeez, the way he looks at you! I wouldn't be at all surprised if he'd got a ring on your finger this time next year!" I faked a smile at that. If only she knew.

We pulled up at the courts soon after, the subject dropped for the time being.

XXX

As soon as I got home, I put my plan into action. Crystal was my first port of call. Although, I trusted Alice implicitly, I wanted someone else's opinion on what Will would think, and I couldn't think of anyone better to ask. I'd already texted her to make sure she had my number, and she had said that I could ring her at any time at the airport...

Before I chickened out, I dialled. She picked up almost immediately. Thankfully New York was only five hours behind the U.K, so I didn't have to worry about waking her up when I rang in the evening.

"Hey, Alexis! Are you okay?" She greeted.

"Fine, thanks." I replied. "I just wanted to ask you and Xav something. I was thinking of surprising Will this weekend, and turning up at his office in London, so we could spend some time together. Do you think he'd like that? "

"Yes!" She squealed before I'd even finished answering my question. "I'm sure Xav will say yes too, but I'll go and ask him, should I?"

"Please." I could hear the muffled sound of voices in the background, before Crystal came back on.

"He thinks it's a good idea too."

"Oh good! Now, I was ringing as well, as I think I might need your help…"

Crystal went above and beyond what I asked of her, having managed to get me Will's PA's personal phone number, so I could check his schedule, and plan a weekend's activities around that. Because he'd spent so much time in Derby with me, he'd been planning on turning this weekend into a working weekend. Pam, the lovely lady in question, was delighted with my plan, and very obligingly offered, or, more accurately, insisted, on moving some of his appointments to allow us to make the most out of our weekend together.

Apparently, Will had been more cheerful recently, something she'd put down to the girl in the photograph on his desk. She insisted it was me, despite the fact I was certain it would be one of his sisters-in-law or mother, especially considering she'd never met me. Still, I suppose Crystal introducing me as his girlfriend hadn't helped. Pam was amazingly efficient; she said she'd ring me back in half an hour once she'd confirmed with people new meeting times, and twenty minutes later she was back on the line, having cleared loads of appointments, to allow us more time together. I didn't care what Will paid her- she needed a rise. Pronto.

"Okay, Alexis, so he'll be free from about half five on Friday, from two on Saturday, all day Sunday, and until 3.30 on Monday." I took notes of his free time diligently, jotting them down in my notepad.

"Thank you so much, Pam. You're a little gem!" I gushed appreciatively.

"Not a problem, Alexis. Now, where are you thinking of staying while you're here?" She asked. I hadn't thought about that yet. I would have said a hostel, but I didn't want to sound like a cheap-skate, so I lied.

"Oh, a hotel somewhere, I think." I was definitely going to be staying in a hostel. Hotels were far too expensive in London to ever be considered good value for money.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, dear! You'll be staying in Will's apartment. I'll get a key cut for you tomorrow, as I don't think he's got a spare."

"Oh, I don't know, I don't want to impose-"

"He'll be mighty disappointed if you don't stay with him, Alexis, as will I. I'm not so old-fashioned that I frown at unmarried couples sharing a bed." I cringed. Pam was rather forthright in her opinions. "In fact, if you don't agree to stay in his apartment then I'll tell him you're coming, and he can tell you himself where you'll be sleeping. Or not sleeping! I know what you youngsters are like!" She finished with a laugh. I felt sick. I could not cope with Will's PA, who was old enough to be my mother, talking about Will and I's non-existent sex life. I just couldn't. I thought hearing the constant sexual innuendos my mother spouted had prepared me for such situations, but it quite clearly hadn't.

"Okay." I agreed, not wanting to argue with Pam after she'd been so helpful. Wishing her good bye I hung up, and immediately phoned Crystal to check that Will's apartment had a spare bedroom or sofa bed. Thankfully, it had both. Although we were probably more than friends I still wasn't ready to share a bed with him.

Now that I'd taken care of the practical side of things, it was time to get down to fun part- deciding what to do over the weekend. The vouchers Alice had referred to were something she'd bought me for my birthday last year. Since I always hated her giving me money, especially after she refused to let me pay rent for the flat she bought me, she'd started to give me vouchers instead. Not that that made me feel much better. She called them 'memory vouchers' because they were for attractions, rather than material possessions. After I'd got off the phone to Crystal, I got them out of the drawer to see whether any of them could be used in London. I hadn't used any of them yet, as I hadn't had any reason to, but hopefully that would change this weekend, provided they hadn't expired. Googling their website, to my delight, I saw that they could be redeemed against all sorts of attractions in London: the London Dungeons, the aquarium, boat rides, bus rides, shows, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, and all manner of other touristy trips. Looking through the list I picked out my favourites, and began to book, making sure they didn't clash with Will's newly altered schedule. This weekend was going to be amazing!

I spent the rest of the evening in a booking frenzy- our weekend was going to be jam-packed! I'd tried to pick things I though Will would like, but I wasn't convinced I'd go the balance quite right. Still, I'd tried my best.

When he rang me that night for our daily chat I think he could tell something was up. I'd seized up like a clam when he'd asked me of my plans for the weekend in casual conversation, and I'd had to steer the topic in a totally different direction in case I gave myself away. I hoped he didn't suspect anything, but if he did, he didn't let on, so I kept my fingers, toes and all other limbs crossed.

I spent Thursday packing far too many clothes into a suitcase far too small, before dropping Monty off with Jack and Savannah. They'd agreed to look after him for the weekend to say thanks for me helping 'Van to build nursery furniture. After saying good bye to Monty, who looked thrilled to see me go, I headed off to my weekly fitness class with my Annie, my teaching assistant. She found my excitement about spending the weekend with Will infectious, and before we knew it we were both jumping around like giggling little school girls. I was even vaguer when I rang Will that night, and I could tell he was worried.

On Friday, even Luke Hall couldn't ruin my good mood! Mrs Lee popping in to sit-in on my maths lesson unexpectedly didn't dampen my spirits either. Annie still found my mood most amusing, especially when I dismissed my class on the dot of 3pm, and had to physically stop myself from tearing out the door after them.

"Go, Alexis!" She'd said with a laugh. "He's lucky to have you. Go and enjoy yourselves!" I crept out of school stealthily, convinced that Mrs Lee was going to drag me to one side and insist I came in on bank holiday Monday because I'd already missed two days of term time. Fortunately, she didn't, but one could never be too careful with Mrs Lee!

So, here I was, sat in King's Cross Station at 5.10, after catching the 3.20 train from Derby to London. Suddenly, I was overcome with nerves, questioning whether I'd really done the right thing. I'd booked a table at a restaurant for tonight, as Pam had cleared Will's schedule for half an hour after my train was due to arrive in London, leaving me time to get to his office, and spend the rest of the evening together. He was supposed to have a meeting with a potential new client, but Pam had managed to re-arrange it, despite it being an important client offering a lucrative contract. I hoped he didn't mind- Pam had said he wouldn't, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to upset or anger him. Pam hd arranged for a taxi to come and collect me from the station, despite my insistence that it wasn't necessary. She'd insisted, however, saying that the tube was incredibly difficult to negotiate, even more so in rush hour, and it was difficult to flag down a taxi at such times.

My taxi driver, who was waiting as Pam said he would be, was a charming cockney named Bert. He dropped me off outside Will's office as instructed fifteen minutes later. I looked up at the enormous building in disbelief.

"Bert, are you sure we're in the right place?" I asked.

"Definitely, Miss." He grinned. I looked again, this time noticing the 'Benedict Security' logo above the front door. I hadn't realised his company was this big, and immediately felt bad for making Pam re-arrange his schedule. The meeting she re-arranged was probably even more important than I'd first realised. I'd have to google his company later- it seemed to be far bigger and more important than I'd realised. I tipped Bert, since he told me Pam had already paid him for the fare, and thanked him for getting me here on time. Feeling rather underdressed in my plain work clothes I headed into the building nervously, straightening my clothing, and wandering to the reception desk.

"Hi, I'm here to see Will Benedict." I said to the snooty looking receptionist. She looked me up and down, before answering me, obviously disapproving of my outfit choice.

"Who?"

"Will Benedict." I repeated.

"And you are?" She raised her eyebrow at me.

"Alexis Anderson."

"Right." She drew out the 'I' sound. "Well, we don't have a Will Benedict here, Miss Anderson. I'm sorry." Her tone suggested she was anything but.

"But the company's named after him! I rang his PA on Thursday- she's expecting me!"

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"What? Why?" This seemed a tad unnecessary, especially considering the fact that I didn't pose a threat.

"Miss, please don't make me call security." My heart dropped at that. This was a bad idea. I hadn't come all the way to London to be humiliated. I was about to turn and leave, with my remaining dignity, when I saw Pam burst out through the lift in reception.

"Alexis!" She cried, and I exhaled in relief. I was saved. "I put you on the guest list, but Sarah here has obviously not looked over it properly." She glared at the girl on the desk, who blushed sheepishly.

"I suggest you look more carefully next time, Sarah." Pam instructed, although it sounded more like a thinly-veiled warning. She nodded meekly, and busied herself with paperwork.

"I'm very sorry about that, Alexis. Not all of our staff are so unprofessional." Pam said, her voice intentionally loud enough for Sarah to overhear. I almost felt sorry for the girl. Almost.

"This way." She said, ushering me to the lift she'd exited from. "If you mentioned Will and she didn't send you up, it's because he likes to remain below the radar. Most of the people in this building don't know he founded the company, but she is the most useless receptionist." That made sense; savants had to stay below the radar. "It's Tom that does most of the fronting for the company." Pam pushed the button for the top floor, and we waited as a lot of other important looking men in suits filed in after us.

"You look much better in person than your picture." She whispered to me. "Not that the picture's bad, you look lovely in it, but you're even prettier in person." I blushed at that.

"Thank you." I whispered back, as the lift climbed higher, gradually emptying as we rose.

Eventually, we reached the top floor. Stepping out, I followed Pam along corridor until it branched out, eventually leading to what I presumed was Pam's desk, considering she sat at it and looked at home. I looked around in awe, not fully believing that this was where Will worked.

"His office is just there." Pam said, pointing to the door opposite her desk. "Go on, head in!" She clapped her hands together excitedly as she perched on the edge of her chair. Following her instructions, I left my suitcase by the doorframe, and knocked tentatively.

"I'm working!" I heard him bellow from the other side of the door. Looking to Pam at that, she indicated for me to go in anyway. Not wanting to have come all the way here for nothing, I took a deep breath and walked in.

"I thought I said-" He began, before looking up from his desk, and seeing me stood in the doorway.

"Alexis? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Surprise!" I said weakly, lacking the gusto usually used for a surprise announcement. His expression was unreadable. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn't have come.

"Look you're busy, this was a stupid idea. I'm sorry, I'll just-" I turned on my heel to leave.

"Wait, no!" He cried, leaping up from his desk, and coming to stand next to me.

"You came to see me?"

"Why else would I come to London?" He smiled blindingly, pulling me into his arms and pressing his lips to mine.

"Best surprise ever." He whispered in my ear once we'd pulled away from each other, and I blushed. Maybe I'd made the right decision after all.

**Review?**


	31. Chapter 31

**Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews; I love reading them &amp; I wouldn't bother to write if it weren't for you guys.**

**Also, exciting news! Chapter thirty one (according to my calculations/ story plan) means that this story is officially at the half way point! Yay! Well, that is, presuming I don't keep adding in more chapters as per usual… The main plot is still to begin guys- I just end up waffling in chapters, which is why it's not begun yet, so sorry for that! Anyway, I hope you like this fluff-filled chapter and continue to enjoy the story- I so want to get it finished this summer!**

31:

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not free until seven because I've got this meeting, and I can't cancel now. We could go out for dinner afterwards, though, if you fancied that?" He asked, fiddling with a strand of my hair, which he then looped around my ear.

"It's all taken care of, Mr Benedict." Pam piped up through the open doorway. I'd completely forgotten she was there- the poor woman had had a front row seat for our kiss. I blushed to the roots of my hair. How embarrassing!

"Oh?" He questioned, turning to face her, while still keeping his arm around my waist.

"Alexis and I worked together to clear your schedule. You're free tonight, Saturday afternoon, all day Sunday, and Monday morning." She said with a grin.

"Really?" He looked at me for confirmation.

"Really." I agreed with a smile. A bright camera flash interrupted our moment, and I blinked in shock.

"Sorry, boss. I couldn't resist." Pam grinned.

"It's fine. Just make sure you get me a copy."

"It'll be on your desk tomorrow." She promised.

"It can go next to my other one of you." He whispered into my hair. I looked over at his desk to see what he meant. In a silver frame, was a photo of me grinning triumphantly at the netball match he'd come to watch. I hadn't even realised he'd taken it. Thankfully, I didn't look too sweaty. Instead, I just had rosy cheeks. It was nestled next to a photo of us two and Monty on the top of the mountain we'd climbed last weekend, and a photo of his family. I'd have to get a photo of him for my desk- I didn't have any on mine at the minute.

"So, I'm free now, Pam?" Will asked, turning his attention back to his PA, who was grinning madly at us both. She nodded.

"Perfect. Let's go." He said, grabbing his jacket and laptop, before going over to thank Pam. She waved off his thanks, and wished us both a good weekend.

"How long are you here for?" Will questioned as we held hands to the lift. He insisted on wheeling my suitcase for me, even though the pink case didn't exactly complement his pristine suit.

"My train leaves at 3.30 on Monday." Well, that was presuming Mrs Lee didn't ring, demanding I came back a day early. Although I'd escaped school without incident today, I was in no way home clean and dry.

"So you're all mine until then?"

"Yep." I agreed, pulling on his tie gently to bring his head to my level and our lips together again. Kissing him was addictive. He hummed in response, only pulling away when the lift jerked to a stop at the next floor. His thumb stroked my waist gently as the lift lurched downwards once the other passengers had got in. We reached the foyer not long after, exiting the building and crossing the street. I wasn't quite sure where we were going, so I let Will lead us.

"What do you want to do this weekend then, Lex?" He asked as he swung our joined hands.

"I've got it all planned out, Benedict." I replied smugly. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Do I get a clue?"

"Maybe. It depends if you behave yourself or not." I winked at him

"I'll be on my best behaviour then." He promised, squeezing my hand reassuringly. We turned off down a side street, popping out on another busy main road.

"So where are you staying?" Well this was awkward. I didn't quite know how to explain that I was staying with him. It felt ruder than I'd first thought- inviting myself round at Pam's insistence for the weekend.

"Well, I had a bit of an issue there. Pam said I had to stay with you, so I haven't booked anywhere. I would have done, but she said she'd tell you I was coming if I did, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise. Crystal said it would be fine, and that there's a spare room and a sofa bed, but I can just get a hotel-" He put a finger over my lips to stop my ramblings.

"Don't be silly. I'm ecstatically happy that Pam banned you from getting a hotel. In fact, I'm going to have to give her a rise for insisting on that detail, and helping you to arrange all of this. There's a spare room made up in the flat- it's yours for the weekend, and any other time you come up and see me."

"Next time?" I said, grinning. A large weight was lifted off my shoulders- he must like me being here if he wanted me to come back again.

"Yep." He squeezed my hand again.

"You're getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you, Benedict?" I teased, secretly loving the fact that he was encouraging me to come and spend more time with him.

"No, I don't think so, Miss Anderson. If I was, I'd have said you'd be staying in my bed in future, not the spare room." I blushed at that. He was so naughty! One look at my red cheeks was enough to make him laugh, and I slapped him lightly on the chest in response, which made him laugh more.

"Come on, Lex. It's not much further. I thought we could grab a coffee or something on the south bank, and than head to my apartment to drop your suitcase off."

"Sounds good." I agreed. "We've got a reservation at 8.30, though, so we'll need to make sure we're back in time to get ready and get there." As I'd only booked the table on Wednesday, 8.30 was the best time I could get.

"Oh! Do I get to know where?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little clue?" He begged, dropping my hand to wrap an arm around my waist instead. He pulled me closer and pressed a kiss to my head.

"Is this your way of getting information out of me?" I giggled, liking his tactics.

"I don't know. Is it working?" He sounded hopeful.

"Maybe. I might give you a clue nearer the time, but I'm not sure. I like keeping you in suspense, so I'm keeping quiet for now." I teased.

"You're an evil woman at times you know, Alexis." I shrugged at him, and he pouted. Like, actually pouted. I kissed it away without thinking, going up on my tip-toes to reach his lips.

"Okay, fine: it's a restaurant. And that's all you're getting." I acquiesced, enjoying being in control too much to tell him anymore. His enthusiasm was infectious- he was like a child on Christmas Day that couldn't wait to open his presents. He didn't quiz me anymore on this evening's activities after that.

We ended up in a quaint little café on the South Bank, which was, apparently, not far from Will's flat. Since the weather was pretty fair, we sat outside on one of the brightly painted picnic benches in front of the café. They all seemed slightly dilapidated, and worse for wear, but with the garishly gaudy colours the look worked well- it was very trendy… very London. I ordered a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, whilst Will had gone for a coffee and a scone. Apparently, he'd starve if he had to wait until 8.30 without having something to eat. My suitcase lay underneath our table, its shade nearly matching the colour of the bench.

"You're really okay with me being here, aren't you?" I asked him. "I mean, you're not upset that Pam and I changed your schedule?" I still felt bad for letting Pam re-arrange the important meeting he had this afternoon, even though she'd insisted he wouldn't mind.

"I couldn't be happier. You can come up every weekend, if you like- I'm glad you want to spend time with me." He smiled, and I smiled back, leaning against him as we watched the boats winding their way down the river.

We made it to the flat an hour later after walking slowly down the south bank and admiring the street performers. Well, I admired the street performers. Will, used to seeing them nearly every day, laughed at my excitement, and took pictures of me as they interacted with me once I'd given them some money.

The flat, I now learned, was of sentimental value to the Benedict family, as it was where Yves stayed when he found Phoenix. It had been Victor's friend's at the time, but Yves had managed to buy it off him for a considerable sum, and it was now the Benedict family base whenever they came to London.

Following Will through the door, I saw that it had an impressive interior. Everything was high end and sleek, equipped with all mod-cons you could possibly need and more. Will led me through the hall way, to the spare room, where he placed my suitcase on the bed for me.

"Will this be okay for you?" He asked.

"It's perfect, thanks." I said, looking over the room in awe- it was nicer than my room at home!

"Good. I'll grab you some clean towels from the cupboard. The bathroom's just through here." I followed him out the door, taking the towels he gave me.

"Thanks. Are you okay if I take a shower now?" I felt a bit grotty still stood in my work clothes, and wanted to freshen up a bit before we went for dinner.

"Sure. How long until we need to leave for dinner?" It was seven now, and I wanted to leave half an hour to allow us to get to the restaurant on time.

"About an hour, I think." I responded.

"You sure? I mean, if you tell me where we're going I could look it up, and book a taxi."

"Nice try." I laughed, wandering into my room to grab my toiletries. "But I'm pretty it'll take us less than half an hour. We'll take the tube- there's a station down the road."

"Are you sure, we could book a taxi. I just need to know where we're going. I mean, the tubes can be quite confusing…" He trailed off when I turned to look at him. He was resting against the door frame, arms crossed, watching me unpack.

"Will, Jack came to London for his degree. I can assure you I've been here enough times to know how the tubes work." Mum and Dad had been thrilled when Jack was accepted by the Royal Veterinary College to study veterinary medicine, and we'd spent a lot of time down here visiting him, as a result. It meant I'd come to know London fairly well, but I hadn't been down here since he graduated a couple of years ago. I picked up my towel, underwear and toiletries and wandered to the bathroom. "You'll just have to wait and see where we're going, Will."

"Okay, fine." He held up his hands in acceptance. "I won't ask you anymore. But, just tell me, what's the dress code." I thought of The Wolseley, the restaurant we were frequenting tonight. It had been where we'd gone to celebrate Jack graduating, and I'd really liked it. This weekend seemed like the perfect chance to re-visit it, and see if it was as good as I remembered it being.

"Fairly fancy."

"That's all your giving me?"

"Yep." I replied with a grin, enjoying keeping tonight's plans a secret.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Give me a shout when you're done in the shower, and I'll head in myself. I'll be in the kitchen finishing off some work if you need me."

I showered fairly quickly, but still took the opportunity to enjoy the warm water running over me, ridding me of the day's dirt. I washed my hair thoroughly, watching as the suds ran down my legs before being sucked into the drain. I'd wanted to wear it down tonight, and as I'd had it in a ponytail all day for school, I didn't want a kink. Even though my hair was curly, it didn't mean I never got kinks. Drying myself off, I slipped on my underwear and wrapped my towel around my midsection, before padding back to my room to get ready.

"I'm done." I shouted to Will as I left. I would have gone and told him, but I didn't really want to greet him in my towel.

"Thanks. I'll be in in a minute." He hollered back.

I'd chosen a twenties style, knee-length, dress for tonight, which I'd paired with my trusty strappy black heels. I could just about walk in them, but I'd be fine if Will allowed me to use him as a support. My dress was also black, although it was adorned with sequins and other embellishments. I'd had to be careful when I packed it to make sure none of them fell off. Thankfully, it had made it here unscathed, much to my relief.

Hearing the shower start, I grabbed the hair dryer on the dresser and began to get ready. I had forty five minutes until I had to leave, and my curly mane took forever to dry!

I was just putting on my shoes, when Will knocked at the door. He'd obviously remembered not to come charging in, as the door handle didn't even twitch.

"It's five to eight, Lex. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, just a sec!" I replied, fastening the clasp of my right shoe. Picking up my clutch I opened the door to see Will looking handsome in a smart suit.

"You look beautiful." He said almost reverently, and I blushed. I was nothing compared to him.

"And you look very handsome." I smiled at him. "Would you be able to zip me up, please?" My dress had a thin zip that ran all the way along my bag. As I wasn't able to reach it easily, I always had to ask someone to help me into it.

"Sure." He agreed. I swept my hair over my shoulder, holding it out of his way as I felt his fingertips graze my back. He zipped me in slowly, careful not to catch my skin, before fastening the button at the top.

"There, all done." I let my hair fall back into place, shaking my head to allow the curls to fall as they wished.

"Oh, before I forget." Will said, dashing off into the kitchen as he spoke. He returned a moment later, and pressed a key and fob into my hand.

"Pam had these made for you. She rang me to tell me while you were in the shower. You can let yourself in if you need to this way."

"Thanks. Just remind me to give them back to you on Monday- I don't want to take them home with me by accident." I hadn't thought about needing a set of keys for myself this weekend, even though I planned to wander round London myself for a while whilst Will was at work.

"Sure." He promised, but his eyes said something different.

"Right, should we head off?" I asked, not wanting to press the issue.

"Indeed we shall m'lady." He said, pretending to tip his hap at me, like they used to in the old black and white movies. It would have worked if he was wearing a hat. But instead, it just made me giggle. He extended his arm for me to take, and I nestled my arm into the crook of his elbow.

"We shall Sir." I agreed with a laugh as we headed out the door.

Taking the tube with Will proved to be an eventful experience to say the least. More used to taking taxis, he was unfamiliar with the conventions that came with public transport. He was bewildered by the fact that, on escalators, you stood on a specific side, depending on whether or not you wanted to remain stationary. He'd enjoyed it though, and we'd managed to make it to 'The Woolseley', my restaurant of choice, by 8.25.

The rest of our evening was just as enjoyable. 'The Woolseley' definitely lived up to my expectations: the food was as good, if not better, than when I'd last visited for Jack's graduation.

Will went for the steak, whilst I went for their hamburger, although we both tried each other's. Afterwards we shared a banana split. Well, I say shared, but in actual fact Will ate most of it. I was too full from my burger to eat more than a few mouthfuls, but Will soon demolished the rest of it, not that I was surprised. I didn't know where the boy put it!

The only slight disagreement came when we asked for the bill. Will, as per usual, insisted on paying for my meal, even though I wanted to go halves. Despite the fact I wanted to split it, I didn't put up much of a fight, as I'd already pre-paid for our tickets for the rest of the weekend using Alice's vouchers and some of my own money. He wouldn't even get the chance to offer to pay for those attractions, so I figured that by the end of the weekend we'd be even. As a compromise, Will let me leave the tip for our waitress, a charmingly attentive student studying geology at UCL.

We headed back to the flat slowly once we'd paid, enjoying the ambience of London at night. I'd never been in London this late before. As a family, we'd only ever visited Jack for a day. It was strange how a city could look so different in the dark.

Roaming the streets, I was pretty sure we looked like typical tourists, awed by the sight of the capital. When my shoes got too painful for me to keep up with our previous pace, Will hoiked me onto his back, and gave me a piggy back back to the flat.

"Do you want something to drink?" Will asked, as he helped me out of his blazer in the hallway. Stupidly, I'd forgotten to take a coat with me- it was warm when we'd set off, and I hadn't taken into account the fact that the temperature would drop as the night progressed. Luckily, Will had saved the day, offering me his blazer. With his jacket round my shoulders, and his arm around my waist I hadn't felt the chill.

"A cup of tea would be lovely." I replied, bending over to unfasten my shoes. Not hearing any movement, I glanced behind me to see Will's eyes firmly fixed on my backside. I coughed, drawing his attention back to my face.

"Right. Tea." He mumbled, heading off to the kitchen. Snickering, I finished unfastening my shoes, sighing in relief when they touched the hardwood floor. Why did us women bother to wear such torture devices?

Picking up my shoes, I dropped them back into my room, and went to find Will. Walking through into the kitchen I saw him busying himself at the counter, grabbing mugs from the cupboard and setting the kettle to boil.

Taking a seat at one of the stools by the counter, silently I watched him work, admiring the way his muscles flexed through his shirt. Watching Will make the drinks was certainly a surreal experience. I watched in awe as the fridge opened by itself, the milk flying out into his open hand. The tea bags lifted out of the mugs of their own accord, hovering for a moment to allow the mugs to catch the dregs, before flying into the bin.

I was amazed by his skills. I, on the other hand, lived my day to day life as if I wasn't savant. Sometimes, I forgot I even was a savant. My gift was too dark, too powerful- I preferred to hide it away, and pretend it didn't exist. As a result, I kept my other savant abilities under wraps too; I hardly ever used telekinesis or mind-linking. It seemed better to shut it all out, but watching Will move things effortlessly around the kitchen made me wonder if maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to start using telekinesis and mind-linking after all. It would certainly save on phone bills.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Will asked, bringing me out of my daze, and sliding a steaming cup of tea in front of me.

"Nothing. I was just thinking how good you were with telekinesis. I never use it myself."

"It comes with having six brothers." He replied modestly, picking up his own mug, and coming to sit next to me, our shoulders touching. "We were always fighting using it- it drove Mom mad. I could teach you some time, if you wanted?" I smiled at the image of seven boys running riot in the kitchen, whilst his Mum tried her best to dodge flying implements and get them to stop.

"Really?" I was sure Will had better things to do than teaching me how to levitate household objects.

"Sure. Although lessons with me are very expensive- I'm an excellent teacher."

"Oh?" I wasn't expecting him to charge me for his services.

"Yep. It's a kiss per half hour." He grinned cheekily at me, and I laughed.

"I see. I hope you don't use those rates on all your clientele."

"No, you're my only client. Well, if you'll have me as your teacher, that is." He smiled.

"I think I'll be able to manage your rates. I'll definitely take you up on your offer sometime."

"See that you do. It's not often I get the opportunity to teach a teacher."

After drinking our teas, we made out way into the lounge, snuggling up together on the sofa whilst the latest episode of 'Breaking Bad' played in the background. We'd both changed into our pyjamas and cleaned our teeth, so we were ready to head to bed as soon as the episode finished. Will was in a loose pair of trackie bottoms and a t-shirt, whilst I was in shorts and a vest. Apparently, he usually slept in nothing but a pair of boxers, but he'd put on some clothes on while we were slobbing around.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Will asked me as the opening credits rolled. We were both laid horizontally on the couch, me practically lying on top of Will's chest, using his bicep as a cushion while he played with my hair.

"You'll have to wait and see." I mumbled. His fingers were soothing- running all the way through my hair from the roots to the very ends. It made me feel sleepy; my eyes were shutting against my will, and I was powerless to stop them.

"Okay." He agreed, obviously sensing that I wasn't going to say anything more. "What are you going to do while I'm out? You could have a lie-in if you liked? There's a gym and a pool downstairs as part of the complex. You could use them either, if you fancied? I could meet you here and we could go from there?" They had a pool? Woah! This was definitely a step- up from my flat. In fact, it was a whole flight of stairs up from my flat, if that was even a saying. It didn't matter- it worked in this context.

"Mmmm. I was thinking of doing some shopping, actually." I couldn't resist going into the massive H&amp;M on Oxford Street whenever I was in London, not to mention the enormous Waterstones. I was a book fiend; I just couldn't seem to buy enough! My bookshelves were already bursting at the seams, but I couldn't help myself from buying more, even if I didn't really have the money.

"How about I meet you at the café we went to this evening? The one on the south bank at about 2.30. Pam's cleared your schedule from two, so we could get a late lunch there, and move onto our first activity from there."

"Sounds good to me." He agreed, still fiddling with my hair. He liked stretching my curls, and watching them spring back into place.

"Is there anything in particular I should be wearing, or not wearing?"

"Casual clothes." I said after a moment's thought. "We're not going anywhere fancy, so just wear something you're comfortable in. Oh, and make sure you're wearing comfy shoes- I think we'll be walking a lot."

"So jeans and sneakers?"

"Yeah. That'll do." I agreed, thinking of the outfit I'd packed for the day. I was planning on wearing a dress and sandals, as the forecast had predicted good weather, and it was always hotter in the capital than back home.

"Did you suspect anything?" I asked moments later, changing the subject of our conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"When I spoke to you on the phone; did you suspect anything?"

"Oh then, yeah. I did think something was up, but I didn't know quite what. It was why I was in a bad mood when you knocked on my door."

"I thought so."

"What? That I was in a bad mood?"

"Well, yes, but that wasn't what I meant. I'm a terrible liar, so I thought you might have suspected something. I was scared Pam would somehow blab to you."

"Yeah, you're not the best liar, Lex." He confirmed. "God knows how you managed to convince Rachel we met at a family funeral."

"Hey, it was the cover story I used at school! I didn't want to get my stories mixed up- I'd have been in even more of a mess if I had!"

"Just as long as she doesn't think we're related"

"Don't worry, she knows that." I replied, turning my attention back to the screen, desperate to keep my eyes open for the remainder of the episode.

Predictably, that didn't happen. Will was forced to rouse me not long after. I'd fallen asleep with five minutes left to go. With me lying on top of him, he couldn't get out until I'd moved. Sleepily, I rose, allowing Will the space to get up too.

"Come on, sleepyhead." He murmured, wrapping his arm around my shoulder to guide me.

"Let's get you into bed." He steered me into my room, helping me under the covers and tucking me in. He crouched next to me, brushing my hair away from my face.

"Now, if I'm out when you wake up, I'll see you at 2.30 in the café, okay? Help yourself to anything in the cupboards or the fridge for breakfast."

"Okay." I yawned.

"If you go out, you've got your key, haven't you? Just remember to lock up after yourself, and ring me if you need me- I'll keep my phone on."

"Mmmm" I mumbled, rolling over and turning away from him. He was so noisy when I was trying to sleep. He laughed in response to my actions.

"Alright, message received, sweetheart. Night." He kissed my forehead, and turned too leave, flicking the lights off as he went. I was asleep before he had chance to shut the door.

**Please leave a review! Also, I'm not from London and don't know it so well, so please forgive all my inaccuracies!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed- you guys are the best. I wouldn't bother writing if it weren't for your feedback. I'm not on holiday anymore, so updates will be less frequent, but the amount of reviews I get is directly proportional to how quickly my next chapter goes up.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 32, I hope you like its fluffiness! Ha! Enjoy!**

32:

Sunlight streaming through the curtains I'd failed to shut properly the night before, woke me the next morning. I was about to roll over and go back to sleep when I remembered where I was. This was no normal Saturday in dingy Derby, thank goodness! There was no Monty running in and jumping on my bed at half six because he wanted to be walked. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table I saw that it was eight; practically a lie-in!

Throwing my arms out to the side I yawned widely, but was confused when I heard a crinkling sound from the other side of the bed. Sitting up, and rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands, I saw a piece of paper left on the pillow I hadn't been using. I swore that hadn't been there last night. Picking it up, I saw that it was a note:

_Good morning, sweetheart._

_I didn't want to wake you, so I've left this instead. I'm leaving for work now, so I'll see you at the café at 2.30. Help yourself to anything in the cupboards for breakfast- I've left some stuff out for you, but don't feel you have to eat it. Enjoy your day's shopping; I'll see you later._

_Take care,_

_W _x

Smiling fondly, I traced his scrawly script with my finger. He must have crept in while I was still sleeping to put it there, which I found sweet, rather than creepy.

Eager to see what he'd laid out for breakfast, I scampered out of bed and into the kitchen. Breakfast was, in my opinion, the most important meal of the day; I was no pleasure to be around if I skipped breakfast, something my siblings could testify.

My stomach growled in anticipation when I saw the feast he'd laid out on the counter. There was croissants, bread, cereals, fruit, and all manner of jams and condiments. He'd put 'some things' out my arse- he'd laid out enough for twenty people!

Grabbing the milk from the fridge, I headed straight for the cocoa pops. Cocoa pops had been my cereal of choice ever since I could remember, even if it was aimed at kids.

Polishing off a bowl full of chocolatey goodness in double quick time, I grabbed a croissant too, before putting my bowl and spoon in the dishwasher and heading to the shower. Not bothering to wash my hair again, I piled it loosely on the top of my head when I went in, letting it loose again once I'd dried off. Pulling on the summery white dress and sandals I'd packed for the occasion, I grabbed my handbag and headed out, not before checking I'd got our tickets for this afternoon and my keys. I didn't want to have to rush back and get them, only to figure out I'd forgotten my keys and be locked out. Remembering to lock up behind me, I took the lift down to the bottom of the building, and took the tube to Oxford Street- one of the best places for shopping in London.

H&amp;M was my first port of call, and I only bought a skirt! How was that for self control?! If only I had the same strength when it came to books.

Dodging the busy commuters, meandering tourists, and avoiding the temptation of entering all the other clothing stores, I eventually made it to Waterstones: the holy grail for all book lovers. The Waterstones on Oxford street was iconic- a beautiful building full of the most beautiful things. It was like the picturesque one in Birmingham opposite the train station that I often frequented, but better. Wandering in, I didn't know where to start- there were so many books to choose from!

I must have perused for about an hour, before I settled on two: 'Suite Francaise', and 'The Handmaid's Tale', being my books of choice. I always tried to buy my books from bookstores instead of Amazon because, even though they were cheaper online, I couldn't bear the thought of bookstores eventually closing down. What would I do if Waterstones went bankrupt? I'd have nowhere else to look at books!

By the time I paid it was one o'clock, so I decided to walk from Oxford Street to the south bank, rather than taking the tube, in order to fully enjoy the sunshine that had just about managed to break through the clouds. Walking slowly, I enjoyed taking in the sights of London, glad that I'd decided to come and spend the weekend here.

The pavements were rammed with tourists, all making the most of day, which impeded my progress somewhat. Still, I made it to the café by two, grabbing a table next to river and ordering a lemonade, while I waited for Will to arrive. As I was early, I took out one of the books I'd purchased, and began to read. A book always managed to keep me occupied when I was waiting for something, not that I minded waiting for Will. I'd just managed to finish the first chapter when he arrived.

"Hey!" I greeted him, folding the corner of my page and slipping my book back into my handbag. He slid onto the bench opposite me, smiling as he did so. I glanced at my watch- he was fifteen minutes early.

"Hey yourself. How was shopping?"

"Good, thanks. I got a skirt and some books, so it was a successful trip."

"Oh, that's good, then. Were you okay getting breakfast?"

"Yeah, I was fine, thanks. Thanks for putting the stuff out for me." I said, passing him one of the menus tucked in-between the salt and pepper pots for him to look over.

"No worries. Sorry I had to go: I would have made pancakes otherwise."

"Will, what you did was enough. Besides, maybe tomorrow we could make pancakes." I'd booked for us to visit Madam Tussad's in the morning, and the zoo in the evening as Will was off all day. Considering Madam Tussad's didn't even open until 9 on a Sunday we'd definitely have time for some pancake making. In fact, I was going make sure we had time for pancakes! Pancakes slathered in Nutella, were one of my favourite treats, even if I did feel bad almost immediately after consuming them once I realised how many calories they contained.

"Sounds good to me. You haven't truly tried pancakes until you've tried the Benedicts' special recipe." He boasted.

"I'll hold you to that." I said, glancing over the menu, before folding it and slotting it back into its original position once I'd decided what I wanted to order. Will followed suit moments later.

"Know what you want?" He asked, and I nodded.

"I think I'm going to go for the quiche and salad with another lemonade." I replied, drumming my nails against the grain of the purple table.

"Healthy." He commented, standing as he spoke. "I'll go and order."

"Wait, let me give you some money." I fumbled through my bag as I spoke, searching for my purse. He ignored me, winking as he headed over to the counter, leaving me stranded at the table. I couldn't leave to give him the money, as I didn't want our table to get taken- there were large groups of eagle eyed tourists waiting to pounce on any available spot, and he knew it. He returned with another lemonade, a coke for himself, and a stick with our table number on five minutes later.

"You are terrible!" I huffed, taking the drinks from him, so he could sit down. "Here." I said, handing him a £10 note. He dodged it effortlessly, and eventually I was forced to stuff it back into my purse after a five minute battle when he still wouldn't take it.

"No, you came to London to see me. That means I get to pay."

"So that means I pay for you when you come to visit me in Derby, right?"

"Er… no."

"What?" I asked, calling him out on his hypocrisy. Our food came then, bringing our argument to an end. The issue however, was not closed.

"So, where are we off to?" Will asked after he'd demolished his bacon butty. I, on the other hand, was only half way through my quiche.

"You'll find out once we've eaten. Patience, William." He pouted at me, and I laughed. He really wasn't very good at relinquishing control.

We left the café once I'd finished my quiche, heading further along the South Bank, past the street performers, to our first activity of the day.

"Any ideas?" I asked him as we drew closer to our destination, our enjoined hands swinging between us.

"I've got a hunch." He admitted, looking towards the London Eye meaningfully. We were only a few hundred metres away from it now- so close that we could just about make out the people stood in the capsules.

"Maybe." I smiled as he looked at me for confirmation- my mouth twitching and giving away that he was spot-on with his guesswork.

"Yes. We're going on the London Eye." I admitted. "So I hope you're not afraid of heights." I said, leading us to the back of the queue.

"I'm not, thankfully. Lex, are you sure we're in the right queue? This one says it's for flexi-ticket holders, but we haven't bought our tickets yet." He eyed the sign next to our queue warily.

"Well it's a good job we've got flexi-tickets then, hey?" I replied, producing the print-outs of my online booking.

"When did you do that?" He asked, moving forward with the flow of the queue. The flexi-tickets had been more expensive than booking a specific time slot, but I wasn't sure when were going to be going, so this had seemed like the best option. They were much better than the standard tickets too, as it meant we got to queue jump, something that we definitely appreciated as we were nearly at the front already! I'd definitely have to ring Alice and thank her for the vouchers she'd given me.

"Online on Wednesday." I handed our booking form to the official at the front of the queue, who scanned them, and ushered us forward to the boarding platform.

"Well thank you. If you tell me how much they were, I'll give you the money."

"You'll do no such thing, Will. It's my treat."

"Okay, then I'll pay for wherever we go next." I remained silent, and he looked at me quizzically, expecting me to put up more of a fight.

"Wait, have you already pre-booked and paid for those too?" He asked me as we boarded one of the capsules. I grinned happily in response, confirming his suspicions. I was thrilled to have got one over on him on the paying front.

"Okay, how about I buy food? That's only fair, and you're not allowed to complain, or try to pay."

"Deal."I agreed after contemplating his offer. I didn't want to cause another argument, and it would end up that we each paid half for the weekend this way.

"Good." He smiled, wrapping an arm around my waist, and leading us to the end of the pod in order to get the best view of London.

The ride passed quickly- it certainly didn't feel like we were in there for half an hour! Will took lots of photographs of us both, even insisting on purchasing the 'official' one taken inside the pod. That camera worked in a similar way to the ones taken on rollercoasters. You know, the ones that capture you on camera, squealing with fright as you go round a bend at a tremendous speed? It was ridiculously expensive, and even though I pointed out that it was a waste of money, he still bought it.

From there, we went on to the sea-life centre, which was also on the South Bank. Although it was aimed mainly at kids, we both still enjoyed it. Will bought me a cuddly toy fish from the souvenir shop, which I named 'Flounder' like in the Little Mermaid, and insisted on cuddling it on the way out, much to Will's amusement.

By now it was 5, and we'd spent longer in the aquarium than I'd expected, taking far too many photos once more, leaving us about two hours to get to our next activity.

Heading towards the West-End, we stopped in Costa for a quick snack and a drink, seeing as we were still both too full after our late lunch to have tea just yet.

"So what are we seeing?" Will asked, having guessed successfully again, that we were here to see a show once I'd told him to head in the direction of the theatres.

"Mamma Mia." I replied straight-faced, watching as he unsuccessfully tried to hide his distaste. Unfortunately, I started laughing at his attempts at impartiality, ruining the effect. I may not have known what Will would like to do in London, but I had managed to figure out that watching a musical whose hardcore fan base was made up of 50 year old women, wasn't quite his cup of tea.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. No, we're going to see the Lion King."

"Seriously?" His face lit up at that.

"Seriously." I confirmed, relieved that he seemed to like the show I'd picked. I had panicked that he'd hate musicals, but thankfully that fear appeared to be unfounded.

"Man, I loved that movie when I was a kid. I still do! Thank goodness Yves isn't here to keep going on about them stealing the plot of Hamlet." I raised my eyebrows at that.

"I know, only Yves." He replied, sensing my disbelief. We both laughed. It definitely seemed like a Yves Benedict thing to do, and I'd only met him once!

"Come on then." I said, glancing at my watch. We'd dawdled from the South Bank, and it was now ten to seven, meaning the show started in forty minutes.

"We'd better be going- we don't want to be late."

After finishing the dregs of our respective drinks, we headed out towards the theatre, taking our seats as the auditorium began to fill up. They weren't the best seats in the house, not by a long stretch, but I'd been fortunate go get any at all at such short notice.

The show passed in a riot of colour, dance and song. I loved every moment, joining the rest of the audience, and Will, in a standing ovation for the cast and cheering for an encore.

When the curtains finally closed, we headed back out onto the streets in search of food, having not eaten properly since lunch. We settled for a take-out Wagamamas in the end, since we didn't fancy sitting in a restaurant at half nine at night amongst all the clubbers.

We took a taxi back to the flat, which I didn't complain about. It was absolutely pouring with rain, and I enjoyed taking the opportunity to snuggle up with Will in the backseat. He hadn't been able to stop talking about how much he'd enjoyed the performance since we'd left the theatre.

"-and the dancers were so good!"

"I know." I replied, laughing. His enthusiasm was endearing. Climbing out of the cab after Will paid our driver, we dashed into the complex so as not to get caught in the downpour.

Still soaked, despite our attempts to stay dry, we headed inside. Will insisted on me showering and changing into dry clothes to warm up immediately. It was sweet. Having not packed anything particularly substantial, he leant me his hoody, which I paired with my leggings. Whilst I was in the shower, he changed out of his damp jeans into the outfit he wore last night when we got back to the restaurant.

By the time I'd gotten out of the shower and changed, he'd laid the table and was re-heating our meals in the microwave. Taking a seat, as instructed, he passed me my now piping hot curry, before grabbing his own and joining me at the table. I managed to eat nearly three-quarters of my curry before Will had finished his meal, despite having a head start, but I was improving. Still, I doubted I'd ever be able to wolf my food down as quickly as the human dustbin.

"Thank you for today, sweetheart; I've really enjoyed it."

"You're welcome." I smiled. "I hope you like what I've got planned for tomorrow just as much."

"I'm sure I will." He answered, kissing me sweetly.

We headed straight to bed pretty much immediately after, both of us exhausted from a pretty hectic day of sightseeing. It was still raining heavily outside when I went to shut my curtains. I had a pretty good view from my window, so I could see the whole city being consumed by the deluge. Shivering, I crawled into bed with Flounder, glad to be tucked up warm and dry. In no time at all, I drifted off, excited for what tomorrow would bring.

**What did you think? Please leave a review; I want to hit 400 so bad! And chapter 33 might be what you've been waiting for... ;)**


	33. Chapter 33

**First off, thank you to everyone who reviewed: anonymous reviewers, Kiauna Grey, Finchy Benedict, Annabelle, karu52, Swetcang, Robyn &amp; JustAnotherFanGirlingBookworm (I loved your poem). This chapter is for you- I love reading every single one of your comments, you're all so lovely, and I hope you like this chapter. It wouldn't be up if it weren't for you guys, so thank you. Enjoy! x**

**Here we go… chapter 33! You've waited long enough, so here it is…**

**Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!**

33:

I woke with a start, clutching Flounder to my chest. I could hear the rain smattering against the window pane in tandem to the deafening roar of thunder echoing around the city; the weather had definitely got worse since we'd got in. Looking at the clock, I saw it 2.10 am- the thunder must have woken me. From my bed, I could see the lightning flickering through the curtains. Rolling back over, away from the window, I gripped Flounder tightly and snuggled deeper into my duvet, hoping to drop back off to sleep. We had a busy day ahead, and I didn't want to be tired.

"Alexis!" I heard a strangled cry coming from somewhere in the flat, and I sat up.

"Will?" There was no response.

"No, no, no!" He shouted again, sounding more urgent this time. Worried, I headed towards his room, keeping Flounder tucked under my arm.

"Will?" I knocked on his door softly, but didn't get a reply.

"No, Alexis, no!" He screamed, tormented. Deciding to forgo convention, I opened his door and walked in, despite not being asked. Will was asleep, the duvet in disarray as his limbs thrashed around.

"No, no!" He sobbed again, a light sheen of sweat covering his chest and face, making his hair stick to his forehead.

"Will?" Walking closer, I perched on his bed, letting Flounder fall onto the pillow he wasn't using. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently. His thrashing increased then, the dream or whatever he was suffering from, had obviously gotten worse.

"Will, wake up!" I pleaded, shaking him urgently. "You need to wake up!" His eyes snapped open then, his face a mask of fear.

"Alexis." He croaked, not noticing me at first.

"I'm here, Will." I responded. His head snapped towards me in shock, his face disbelieving. I didn't have chance to even blink before his arms were around me, and I was lying against him.

"I thought you were dead." He choked out, burrowing his face into my hair, and crushing me tightly to him. "The car was going too fast- I couldn't get to you."

"Shhh." I soothed, managing to extricate one of my arms from his vice-like hold to wipe away some of the strands of hair plastered to his face.

"It's okay, I'm here. It was just a dream." We lay silently for a couple of minutes until he stopped trembling, loosening his hold slightly.

"Sorry." He mumbled, breaking the silence. "I shouldn't have grabbed you like that."

"Don't worry. Do you want to talk about it?" My face was pressed against his chest once more, his head resting atop of mine, meaning I couldn't see his face.

"Even Xav couldn't save you." He sobbed. "And it was my fault."

"I'm safe, don't worry." His breathing was still ragged, he still hadn't completely calmed down.

"What can I do?" I asked, pressing a kiss to his skin.

"Just let me hold you."

So I did.

XXX

We woke up in the same position, still curled up tightly around each other. I could feel Will shooting little puffs of air our from his nose like a slumbering baby dragon. It tickled. I stayed still, watching him sleep undisturbed for a while; he needed it after last night. Without thinking, I traced patterns on his bicep, watching as a trail of goosebumps were left in my wake. When his breathing stuttered, I pulled away, worried that I'd woken him.

"Don't stop, I like it." His eyes stayed closed, his voice hoarse from sleep.

"I didn't realise you were awake." I ducked my head back into his chest, embarrassed I'd been caught.

"Well, I've only just woken up, to be fair." He unwound his arms, stretching them above his head to work out the kinks from a night spent in the same position. Now free, I too had a little stretch, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and rolling my shoulders.

"Thank you for last night. I don't usually get nightmares, but that one was so vivid; I was convinced it was real life." He propped himself up on his elbow so he could see me more easily, brushing a couple of curls away from my eyes. My hair was even more unmanageable in the mornings than it was in the day.

"Anytime. It's nice to be your knight in shining armour, rather than the damsel in distress for once. Did you sleep okay after?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Like a baby. So you'll come into my bed whenever, then?" He grinned cockily at me.

"Only you would get just that from that sentence! I did not mean it like that, and you know it!"

"Innocent until proven guilty; you didn't specify terms!" He argued, grabbing Flounder from where I'd left him last night and pulling him to his chest.

"Hey!" I yelled, fumbling for him.

"Agree, or Flounder gets it!" He replied playfully. "Poor, little, innocent Flounder…" He trailed off, holding him aloft above his head and making bobbing movements with him, as if he were swimming.

"Will, give him back!" I cried, sitting up on the bed, arms flailing, trying to re-capture my beloved new toy. He wrestled me away, laughing manically at my efforts, before I finally managed to snatch Flounder, leaving me lying on his chest once more. When I'd got Flounder safely back under my control, I turned my attention back to Will, who was looking at me intensely. Without warning, he leaned up and kissed me, catching me by surprise. Flounder lay forgotten as I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back deeply. We pulled away breathless.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." He mumbled, running his thumb along my now slightly swollen bottom lip.

"Will, what are we?" I asked, placing my palms against his chest and leaning on them, so I could look at him properly. He'd propped his head against the headboard and was using his arm as a pillow.

"What do you want us to be?"

I pondered that for a moment; I wasn't totally sure. Being soulfinders didn't automatically make us a couple- something I'd assumed from the off. Yet, we weren't just friends either. My heart didn't stutter when Sam rang, and I certainly didn't make a habit of kissing my friends or sharing a bed with them either.

"What do you want us to be?" I retorted. He shook his head.

"No, I asked you first."

"You are so difficult!" I huffed and he smiled, refusing to say anything else.

I stayed quiet for a minute too, contemplating how to voice my thought effectively and inoffensively. His thumb rubbed the slither of exposed skin between my top and shorts soothingly.

"I want…" I paused before trying again. What did I want? I took a deep breath.

"I want… I want us to try. I want us to try this." I used my hands to motion between our bodies, explaining my point. Will rolled us over, pinning me underneath him. His placed his forearms either side of my head, keeping his weight off me, and caging me in. His face broke out into a broad grin before morphing into his signature cocky smirk.

"Are you asking me out, sweetheart?"

"Yes, I think I am." I smiled back.

"It would be my pleasure." He kissed me again, for longer this time, rolling us over so I was on top, our mouths still connected. He grinned when we broke apart.

"Wait 'til everyone finds out you asked me out!"

I threw Flounder at him.

XXX

It was eight before we made it into the kitchen for breakfast. I was still in my pyjamas, but Will had slipped on his trackies and a t-shirt. Trying to cook whilst he was still just in his boxers would not have ended well for either of us, or the flat. I could do without setting the kitchen alight because I couldn't stop gawking at him. We had both brushed out teeth, mind- I couldn't believe we'd chatted so for so long this morning with morning breath!

When I came out of the bathroom, he was already weighing out the ingredients to make pancakes. After all his bragging yesterday I was eager to see if the pancakes lived up to expectations.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked, heading over to the counter towards him.

"Nope. You sit right there." He pointed to one of the stools. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but only Benedicts can know the Benedict family recipe."

"You take it that seriously?" He nodded, as if such a thing were perfectly normal.

"Yep."

"Okay, I'll leave you to it. But am I allowed to set the table?"

"Sure." He replied, tipping some of his ingredients into a big glass bowl and mixing them together. Smiling, I grabbed what we needed, before sitting back down as instructed.

XXX

"These are so good!" I moaned, savouring the forkful of chocolatey covered goodness I'd just stuffed into my mouth. Will had already used half of the mixture to make a stack of pancakes, and we'd nearly eaten most of them already.

"I told you: you haven't truly had pancakes until you've tried the Benedict recipe."

"You have got to tell me the recipe! Seriously, I'm begging you here, Will!"

"Sorry, only Benedicts- that's the rule."

"But that's so mean- I'm not a Benedict!"

"No, but you could be." He smiled toothily at me.

"Please tell me that was not a proposal." I groaned. The pancakes were ridiculously good, but they still weren't quite good enough to convince me to walk down the aisle.

"You only asked me out an hour ago, Alexis. Let's not jump the gun here."

"You are never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Never." He promised, helping himself to the last pancake and smothering it in Nutella.

Thankfully, there had already been Nutella in the cupboard, so I hadn't had a meltdown. The cupboards were actually extremely well-stocked, especially considering that no one actually used the flat as a permanent residence.

"Right. It's time for your first lesson, teach." Will said, standing as he spoke and moving to the stove, bringing our dirty plates with him.

"What?"

"Your first telekinesis lesson. Today, Alexis, we'll be using pancakes as our levitation objects of choice."

This could not end well.

XXX

As predicted, chaos promptly ensued. Will had me levitate a ladle-full of mixture into the pan, flip the pancake once it had cooked enough on one side, and transfer it to the plate; all using just the power of my mind. Half of the remaining mixture had managed to make its way onto the counters, the worktop, the floor, my face, my hair, and my pyjamas. Will hadn't fared much better; he too had mixture all over himself, but he remained a patient teacher.

I still thought we should have gone for something else for me to levitate- maybe an empty bottle or a tennis ball would have caused less damage. My current attempt (I could not remember exactly how many previous attempts there had been, but there had been a lot) was, so far, going quite well. I'd managed to successfully transfer the mixture into the pan via the ladle, and was now on to the flipping stage.

"Now concentrate, Lex: you can do this." He muttered, watching anxiously as a pancake hovered dangerously above the pan. I turned it in mid-air cautiously, before letting it float neatly back into the pan.

"Did you see that?" I cried, looking at Will for confirmation that I'd really flipped it.

"Good job, sweetheart." He clapped, smiling happily at me.

"Now let's get it onto the plate." Waiting for the the other side to cook, I carefully transferred the pancake from the pan to the plate, hopping from one foot to the other when it landed successfully.

"I knew you could do it, sweetheart." Will smiled, opening his arms for me. I snuggled into them happily.

"It was all down to my teacher." I grinned, looking up at him.

"Of course it was." He bragged, teasingly. "Now I do believe you need to pay for your tuition."

"Right away, sir." I smiled, leaning up on my tip-toes and paying off my debt.

Will made the rest of our pancakes, since it took nearly fifteen minutes to make just one. We wolfed them in down in next to no time, ending up feeling rather sick once we'd finished. Tidying our stuff away, we showered and dressed quickly, eager to head off and make the most of our day. Will, in order to save both time and water, or so he said, had cheekily offered to shower with me. I declined with a laugh. Somehow, I doubted his main intentions were to help preserve the environment. Still, we made it out of the flat by 9.30 and headed off to Madam Tussaud's by ten, managing to beat most of the tourists.

It only took us a couple of hours to go round, although we managed to get photos with practically all of the big stars. Will wasn't impressed when I insisted on him snapping a picture of me kissing Benedict Cumerbatch on the cheek, but he took it anyway. In all honesty, though, if will weren't a savant, I could imagine him being famous enough to be a waxwork model, not that I'd tell him that. His head was big enough already.

"Hey, Lex, let's get a photo with Brangelina." Will said, ushering me towards Hollywood's biggest power couple. I followed his instructions, standing by the pair of them whilst he managed to find someone to give his camera to to take our picture. Some unsuspecting tourist fell for his charm every time, and he had a reel of photos of us taken together by strangers to prove it. This time, he managed to befriend an elderly lady, who lapped up his attention, and eagerly offered to take our picture.

"You have a thing for Angelina?" I asked as he came to stand by me. The old lady was now fiddling with the shutter on the camera, unable to manage the complexities of a simple push button.

"How do you know it's not Brad?" He replied, still grinning at the camera. The granny had now managed to work out how to use the camera, and was happily clicking pictures of us. He went over to take the camera from her, and thank her for her time before returning back to me.

"I know it's not Brad." I disagreed.

"Maybe not. I just thought they might like to be photographed with another power couple."

"Will, we are not a power couple. We've only been a 'couple' as of a few hours ago."

"Sure we are. We just need a couple name." He argued.

"Like Brangelina?" He was ridiculous. We did not need a 'couple name'- we were not A-list celebrities, nor would we ever be.

"Yeah, something like that. How about Wexis?" I let out a groan; that was an awful couple name, even worse than Brangelina if that were even possible.

"I'll keep thinking." He promised with a wink. What was I to do with him? Sighing, I followed him to look at the rest of the waxworks.

Once we'd finished at Madam Tussaud's, we headed onto our second stop of the day: the zoo. Will had, thankfully, dropped his quest to find us a 'couple name'. I was hoping he'd permanently forget about it.

We managed to get to the zoo for about half twelve, so had the rest of the day to look round. Since we were both still full from breakfast, we decided to skip lunch, and instead shared some chocolate covered strawberries on a skewer that we bought from a van inside the park. Most of it managed to end up on Will's face, rather than in his mouth, and I managed to get a few photos of him on my phone which I'd later print and frame for posterity.

"Come on, Will! The penguin show's about to start!" I yelled, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the penguin enclosure.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." He laughed, jogging a few steps to pull level with me.

We made it to the penguin enclosure in time to see the keepers feeding them, and we got to listen to their talk. Well, say we, but I meant me. I listened intently to the talk, whilst Will spent it taking photos of the penguins. He'd told me earlier that he wanted to take plenty of photos to document our first day together as a couple, which was also why he insisted on buying all the official photographs in the gift shop later that evening, once we'd seen all the animals.

Whilst he was paying, I was studying their vast cuddly toy collection- there were all manner of animals on the shelves, but they weren't anywhere near as cute as Flounder. How could they be? Flounder was one of a kind, and the cutest toy around.

Will's arm slipped around my waist before I'd even realised he'd left the counter. He pushed a leaflet into my hand.

"Meet Ricky!"

"Ricky?" I studied the leaflet he'd given me. There was a picture of a penguin on it.

"Yes, Ricky. We've adopted him."

"What, really?" I asked, glancing up at him for confirmation.

"Yep. You can adopt any animal here, anyone can, and the money you use to pay for the adoption helps to conserve penguins in the wild and in captivity. We can come and visit him whenever we like, a monthly email to keep us updated on his progress, and free admittance twice a year. They're going to send you the adoption pack in the post."

"Thank you, Will!" I cried, wrapping my arms around his middle and squeezing him tight. I'd always wanted to 'adopt' an animal at my local zoo as a child, but my Mum had always insisted it was a rip-off.

"I'm glad you like it, sweetheart. You ready to head home?"

"Definitely." I replied, pulling back from him, and looking at my photo of Ricky once more. "Let's go."

We ended up in the little Tesco near to Will's flat. Since we hadn't felt like going out for dinner, I'd offered to cook tea for us. I'd decided on fajitas, and was currently tossing ingredients into the basket Will insisted on carrying.

"Lex, I could just get Estelle to bring this stuff up for us, you know?"

"Estelle?" I asked, selecting three peppers and dropping them into a little carrier bag.

"Yeah. She looks after the flat for me; she cleans it, gets my food, does my washing, my ironing-"

"Are you serious?" I placed the peppers into the basket, and turned to look at him.

"Yes." My, how the other half lived! Employing someone to do your shopping for you seemed rather unnecessary, but it did explain why the cupboards were so well stocked.

"Well, you don't need to bother Estelle tonight, Will. We can manage just fine." I did not need Will to drag poor Estelle away from her plans to go shopping, when I was perfectly capable of doing it myself.

"Okay." He shrugged. "Can I choose what we have for dessert?" He asked, eyeing the frozen aisle hungrily.

"Yes; go!" I laughed, taking the basket from him, and watching as he tore off in search of some frozen treat.

Will decided on chocolate ice cream with strawberries for pudding, something I definitely approved of, even if I didn't like that he insisted on paying for everything. Still, as he reminded me, I had agreed to allow him to pay for food in exchange for me buying the tickets, so I didn't have a leg to stand on in an argument.

When we got back to the flat it was six, so I began cooking straight away whilst Will chopped the peppers and set the table for me. It didn't take us long to prepare or make, so we were sat eating it less than twenty minutes later.

"These are so good!" Will exclaimed, as he prepared his last wrap. I'd made a lot of mixture, but we'd managed to eat it all easily.

"I'm glad you think so." I smiled. "Even though there's no secret recipe for them." He shrugged at that.

"They're still good. So, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

"There is no plan for tomorrow." I replied, eating the last piece of my wrap. Will raised an eyebrow at that.

"How come?" He asked curiously, taking a bite out of his wrap.

"Well, I wasn't sure how you'd take to me coming to visit you for a start."

"Sweetheart, you know you can come surprise me whenever. I like my girlfriend coming to see me."

"I know that now, Will, but I didn't know that at the time. I figured, if you hadn't wanted to see me, then I could get an earlier train home tonight, after spending the weekend here doing my own thing. Besides, I wasn't your girlfriend then."

"But you're not going home tonight, are you?"

"No." I agreed. "I'm not; I'm going home tomorrow afternoon. So I figured last week, that if you wanted me to stay on the Monday we could do something random, go sight seeing somewhere, or to the park or something. The ball's in your court William." I smiled at him. "We can do whatever you like." He grinned cheekily.

"So if I suggest that we stay in bed all day?"

"I was thinking more that we walked round Covent Garden." I laughed.

"I don't think that answers my question, Alexis." He teased.

"You're rather forward, aren't you, Mr Benedict?" I countered.

"That's why my girlfriend loves me." He grinned wolfishly.

"I did not say I loved you, don't get ahead of yourself, mister." I waggled a finger at him as if reprimanding him.

"You know you do, Alexis." He slid off his stool and prowled towards me; his steps slow and deliberate.

"Oh really?" I arched an eyebrow at his confidence.

"Want me to convince you?" He was level with me now, we were face to face.

"I'd love to see you try."

"Love. See, there's that word again! You know you love me, Lexie." He grinned smugly, pressing our lips together before I had chance to defend myself. He was good, very good. It was a kiss that claimed me, branded me as his. I couldn't even think straight by the time I pulled away for air; I just wanted more.

"Bedroom?" He asked, pulling me into his arms.

"Bedroom." I agreed.

We didn't even get chance to open the ice cream.

**YAY! After 33 chapters, they're officially together at last! Please leave a review to tell me what you thought- I hope the wait was worth it! #lill**


	34. Chapter 34

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed- you guys are the best! Here's the next chapter- I hope you like it! x**

34:

I woke up rosily naked, and tangled in Will's bedsheets. We hadn't actually gone all the way last night, but we'd come pretty close. In fact, we definitely would have, had we had any contraception with us. I'd come off the pill after a nasty break up with my ex-boyfriend, having seen no need to stay on it if I wasn't with someone, and I hadn't even thought about bringing something with me. I may have wanted Will, but I wanted not to get pregnant right now even more, so we didn't. Neither of us wanted to risk having babies just yet. I'd have to ring Mum when I got home to get her to renew the prescription. Now that would be another awkward conversation.

At a guess, I'd say it was around 9.30 in the morning. We hadn't had all that much sleep last night, so I wasn't surprised we'd slept in. I felt Will shift behind me, and I turned to face him, pulling the sheets closer to my body, so as not to expose myself. His eyes opened slowly as I did so.

"Good morning." I whispered, running my hand across his cheek.

"It's a very good morning." He wriggled closer to me, and kissed me on the mouth, before nuzzling his face into my hair. I giggled- it tickled.

"What time is it?" He yawned.

"About half nine, I think."

"You sure you have to go home, Lex? You can stay here for the rest of the week instead."

"Nice try, mister, but no. School waits for no one- I've got to go back."

"I wish you could." He replied stubbornly. My boyfriend was really nothing more than a petulant child at times. I laughed.

"So do I! But I'm sorry- I can't, even if I'd like nothing more than to stay."

"What, so I can rock your world?"

"No, so I can rock yours." I quipped back.

"Fighting talk, sweetheart."

"You better believe it, Benedict. Now, come on, out of bed- I want to make the most of today." I crawled out of his arms as he spoke, pulling his shirt over my head. It had been quickly discarded last night, and had lain in a heap along with the rest of our clothes while we slept.

"That suits you. Although I like it best when you're not wearing anything." I laughed- he was such a boy. It covered everything, hardly surprising since he was so much taller than me, so I gave him a twirl, the material flaring at my knees in the draft.

"I might keep it, you know. I like how it smells."

"It's yours." He promised. He had his arms crossed behind his head, and was using them as a pillow.

"Thank you. I'm going to go shower, and then we can head off."

"Okay, can I join you? I mean, in the interest of saving water, and therefore helping the planet and that?" I rolled my eyes at him- he was so predictable.

"Come on then, my little eco-warrior." I teased, heading for the shower and hearing him scurry out of the bed after me.

"Hey! I'm not little!" Such a boy.

We managed to pry ourselves away from one another for long enough to get changed and leave the flat. I'd packed my bags with Will's help once we'd dressed, since I wasn't going to be coming back to the flat once we left- it was easier for me to just go straight to the train station instead. It was a moment tinged with sadness; I'd hardly been here and already I was having to leave.

Instead of staying in bed all day like Will wanted, we headed to Covent Garden, stopping off at a little pizzeria for lunch, before wandering to the train station. Will had to get back to work for a meeting before my train left, so he didn't get chance to see me board and pull away from the station. Instead, he bade me farewell whilst I was waiting for it to arrive, hugging me tightly against his chest.

"I'll come and see you as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay." I pulled away from his slightly so I could smile at him. I knew he was really busy with work, so I wasn't expecting it to be for a while. I knew I would too, be busy with school in the coming week, so I doubted I'd be able to come and see him anytime soon, either.

"And I'll call you every day."

"I know you will." I grinned. "And I look forward to hearing from you. I'll ring you when I get home." I leaned up and kissed him then; a kiss that told of what was to come.

"And I you." He kissed me again, for longer this time, before he was forced to head back to work- he was supposed to have left the station ten minutes ago. Pam was going to have his head on a stick at this rate. I'd only met her once, but I knew she meant business.

He left soon after, reminding me to make sure I rang him when I got in safely, and wishing me a safe journey. I watched him leave with great sadness; being separated from each other little more than a day into our relationship, didn't exactly seem like the best way to start off as a couple, but I knew we could, and would, make it work.

The train journey home gave me a chance to reflect on the weekend, and it passed quickly- I was so glad that Rach had convinced me to go. Fumbling in my bag for my car keys as I walked out of the station, I realised I'd still got the set Will had given me for his flat- I knew I'd forget them! I'd have to post them to him now! Pulling out my phone, I dialled his number to tell him I'd got them, and that I'd arrived safely in Derby. I climbed into the front seat while I waited for him to pick up, dumping my suitcase on the back seat, and shutting the door as I did so.

"Hey, sweetheart. You home yet?"

"Not yet- I've just got off the train, but I will be once I've collected Monty. Oh, and I'm really, really sorry, but I've forgotten to give you your keys back! I'll have them posted down to your office as soon as I can- I'm really sorry!"

"Good. And don't worry, the keys are yours- you weren't supposed to give them back."

"What?" Surely he was joking. Giving me keys to his house seemed like a very, very big deal.

"I never said you were going to give them back. Now you can come and visit me whenever you please."

"Will, are you sure?" I asked, looking at the keychain he'd given me as if it were a prickly grenade- about to blow up in my face at a moment's notice.

"Yes, Alexis- it's yours. Now, I'm sorry sweetheart, but I'm going to have to go- my next client's here."

"Okay. I'll ring you tonight." I promised as I hung up, glancing down at the keys for his London flat once more. We were certainly moving quickly!

Turning on the ignition, I tried to forget about it, and drove straight to Jack and Van's practice to collect Monty. No doubt, he would be, as usual, unimpressed that he had to come home with me. Unfortunately, I was right with that assumption- he sulked the whole way home, right from when he saw me! Anyone would think I mistreated the little guy!

I rang Will again when I got home, before I looked over my lesson plans and headed to bed. I was totally exhausted, and desperately needed to regain my strength if I had any chance of controlling my unruly class.

Thankfully, I wasn't too sleep- deprived to deal with them on Tuesday, or Wednesday, come to that. Now that the bank holiday was over, I felt I was back into the swing of things, and it was time for netball training on Wednesday evening before I even knew where the time had gone.

We'd arranged for Rach to come and pick me up, since I was driving us to the match on Saturday, even though she'd driven me to training last week too. I was not looking forward to the inquisition that would most definitely begin as soon as I got into the vehicle. With my kit bag slung over my shoulder, I headed out into the car park. Rach had already texted me to say she was on her way, and I didn't want to make her wait. Sure enough, I spotted her car a couple of minutes later, and I waited by the doors until she pulled up alongside me before I got in.

"Hey." I said as I climbed in, tossing my kit bag over the back seat, and turning to look at her. She had a sly smirk plastered all over her face.

"What?" I asked her, wondering the reason behind her expression.

"So how was your weekend?" She pulled off the kerb as she spoke.

"Good, thanks."

"So your non-boyfriend boyfriend was glad you came to see him?"

"Yes. In fact… he's actually my boyfriend now, Rach." She squealed at that admission, the sound making me jump in my seat.

"At last, girl! Hallelujah! So now I can ask you how he was!"

"How he was?"

"Yeah, you know." She wiggled her eyebrows at me and wriggled in her seat suggestively. I groaned. The girl had no filter.

"Rach, him being my boyfriend does not mean that you can ask me things like that!"

"Alexis, this is part of the best friend code! You should know this by now- I'm privy to all pertinent information about you and, now that you're together, him." Rach always had a tendency to spout bullshit when she wanted information.

"Seriously, Rach? What cheesy American drama have you been watching now?" Rach had an obsession with many American TV series', and, as a result, their dialogue often leaked into her everyday speech.

"Stop changing the subject, Alexis! You still haven't answered my question! How was he?"

"I wouldn't know, Rach. We didn't have sex." I admitted, looking out the window.

"What? Why? I bought you lingerie for a reason- you're supposed to use it!"

"We didn't have any contraception." I explained, turning to face her.

"Seriously, Alexis? Have I taught you nothing?" Her face was aghast at my admittance.

"What do you mean, 'what have you taught me?', Rach?"

"Alexis, you always take protection! Especially if you're going to meet your non-boyfriend boyfriend, who is now your boyfriend! I thought you were on the pill, anyway."

"I came off it after Sean." Sean was my twat of an ex-boyfriend.

"He was a dick." Rach agreed; she'd never liked him from the start, and she always liked to remind me of that fact. It was part of the reason it had meant a lot to me that she'd approved of Will. "But you do need to get that sorted again. I'm not ready to be Auntie Rach just yet; I need time to prepare to be the best Aunt that's ever existed. Couldn't you just ring your Mum and ask her to renew your prescription?"

"I know, I keep meaning to ring her, but I haven't had chance. I'll ring her when I get in tonight to ask- she'll probably be off shift by then."

"In fact, why don't we sort it out tonight? You need to take a full set of pills before you're protected, so we'll go to Tesco after training."

"I know I do- I'll sort it. Why do we need to go to Tesco, though?"

"Why do you think?" She wiggled her hips again and my stomach dropped.

"No, Rach. No!"

"Yes, Alexis, yes!"

"Rachel!" I screamed, mortified. "I am more than capable of buying my own condoms!"

"And have you?" She continued, totally unperturbed.

"No, but-."

"Then we're going, Al. End of" Her tone was final, and I groaned. I hoped this training session never ended and we never made it to Tesco.

Unfortunately, it did not go on forever. Instead, rain halted play, and we had to leave early, much to Rach's excitement, and my disappointment. I'd never seen her so excited. No, wait, the only time I'd seen here more excited was when she was buying me lingerie on Will's behalf. I swore it wasn't normal for her to take such an active interest in my sex life.

Yet, here we were, stood in front of the condom stand at Tesco. I'd been relegated to carrying the basket, while Rach picked out what I needed, much to my embarrassment and her entertainment. She was currently throwing in every style and size they had.

"Rach, I don't need all of them!" I whispered, looking around anxiously in case someone saw us.

"Okay, what size? That should narrow down your selection." She rested her hand on her hip and looked at me.

"I am not answering that!"

"You mean you don't know?"

"Oh, I know." She raised an eyebrow at that. "I may not have slept with him, but…" I trailed off.

"Alexis, you saucy minx! I knew you had it in you!" I grinned wryly, picking up the regular sizes she'd put in the basket, and putting them back on the shelf. Her eyes widened at that, and she smirked.

"You've definitely picked yourself a good one!" I didn't reply, and instead simply watched on in horror as Rachel literally cleared the shelves, dropping their contents into my basket.

"Are you kidding?" I asked, following her to the checkouts once there was nothing left on the shelves.

"You two are going to be good together, I can tell. It's always good to be over-prepared."

"This is not over-prepared; this is ridiculous." I exclaimed as we headed to the self-service checkouts. I was trying to shield my basket from view, but I was having little success. A basket full of nothing but condoms did raise a few furtive glances from the other shoppers.

I scanned the items as quickly as possible, stuffing them into two of the see-through carrier bags. Rach paid with her card before I got the chance to use my own.

"Tell Will he can thank me later." She winked, leading the way whilst I followed- both hands now laden down with my purchases.

"Thanks." I grudgingly admitted, speed walking towards the exit before someone saw me. I did not want someone I knew to catch me buying nothing more than condoms. Who knew they were so expensive?

"Alexis?" I heard someone behind me call. Damnit; I was so busted. I turned to face the voice.

"Mrs Lee." I greeted, shoving the bags behind my back, and praying she hadn't seen their contents.

"Just doing some late night shopping, are we?" I watched as she craned her neck, trying to see what I was hiding.

"Yes; just some last minute essentials." I heard Rach snicker next to me at that, but I ignored her.

"I see. Well, don't forget about the re-scheduled meeting tomorrow- and do tell Annie not to be late this time." I gritted my teeth at her subtle dig, but I didn't let my annoyance show.

"Yes, Mrs Lee."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, Alexis." She turned and waddled off with her trolley, no doubt heading straight for the biscuit aisle. Letting out an enormous sigh of relief, I looked to see Rach nearly keeled over with laughter.

"Don't say a word." I muttered, walking as quickly as I could out of the store. What were the chances of that happening? Fate was definitely not on my side at the minute.

Rach hadn't been able to say much during the ride home- she'd been too busy laughing at my misfortune to get out anything more than a choked "See you on Saturday" when I climbed out.

Stowing my purchases safely in my wardrobe, I grabbed my phone and rang Mum, as I started off with Monty for his evening walk. I figured it was just as easy to contact her when I was on the go, and it meant that I got the phone call over with as soon as possible. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, she picked up.

"Alexis, you're not in hospital are you?" I guess, after all that had happened over the last few weeks, it probably made sense that that was the first thing she asked.

"No, I'm fine, Mum." I promised, tugging on Monty's lead to hurry him along. He was currently taking great interest in sniffing all the wheelie bins we walked past. Unfortunately, it was bin day, which meant that there were lots of bins available for his perusal. "I was just ringing to ask if I could get you to renew a prescription for me?"

"Good, I'm glad to hear it, Alexis! Yes, I should be able to do that for you. What prescription is it?" Here came the awkward part. It was both a curse and a blessing to have your Mum as your GP, and this was definitely the curse. Still, it was probably better than having to go to the doctors.

"The pill."

"Which one, Alexis?"

"Mum, _the pill…_"

"Oh, right. If I say yes, do I get to meet Will?"

"You can meet him soon." I promised, pulling my phone away from my ear when I heard her squealing at the other end of the line.

"Is that a yes?" I asked, once she'd quietened down.

"I'm at the practice tomorrow, so I can get them for you then." She agreed.

"Do you want me to come and pick them up at the practice, or should I go to your house?" I asked.

"No, I can drop them round to you. I'll need to remind you about how to take them anyway. I can come round tomorrow night if you're in then?"

"That would be great, Mum, thanks. I'm in all night from when school finishes." Annie was on a date tomorrow night, so we'd cancelled our usual evening fitness class, leaving me with a free evening.

"Right, I'll see you tomorrow night. And Alexis, be careful. I want planned grandbabies. Even when you're on the pill you're not fully protected until you've taken a month's worth of pills."

"I know, Mum. I will be." I promised, blushing as I thought of my newly purchased stockpile. I definitely did not need to worry about that side of things anymore.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Alexis- take care." I wished her good bye and hung up too. At least that was now sorted, and it hadn't been quite as bad as I thought it would be.

**Please leave a review to let me know what you thought! x**


	35. Chapter 35

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed; you guys are awesome! So, thank you to: my anonymous reviewers, FinchyBenedict, FindingSkyFan3, Kiauna Gray, SweetCang and Rosie. This chapter is for you guys- I hope you like it.**

**Also, a general note: I'm trying to speed up this story a tad, purely because I want to get it finished this summer. So if you feel like it's jumping a bit, that's why. I hope you continue to enjoy this story- let's get it finished at last!**

**Enjoy! And please leave a review to let me know what you thought- I would love to hit 450 reviews over the next few chapters! Plus, reviews make me update quicker!**

35:

The next few school days flew by. I texted Annie on Wednesday night as soon as I got in from walking Monty to tell her what Mrs Lee had said about there being a staff meeting the following morning, as I wasn't sure if she knew. I wouldn't put it past Mrs Lee to deliberately make sure Annie didn't know, just so she could have more ammunition to unfairly use against her. Luckily, however, this plan was foiled, as we both made it to the meeting on time.

At lunch time on Thursday, Mum called to let me know that the pharmacy next to her surgery was out of birth control pills, but that they were having a delivery tomorrow, so she'd stop by on Friday night to give me them. Thanking her for her perseverance, I spent the rest of my lunch break gossiping with Annie about her date that evening.

Although Annie was a good ten years older than myself, we still got on like a house on fire. It was a blind date, so she didn't have a photograph of him, but she did know that he was in his early thirties, and liked photography. From the information I got out of her, he seemed like a fairly decent guy. Annie was a real sweetie, so he'd be really lucky if she liked him back.

On Friday, I was eager to hear about her date, but it was really strange: she couldn't recall anything about the guy she met, or even that she'd been on one. Something was definitely up- something out of the ordinary, but I wasn't quite sure what. I did ring Mum to ask about it during break time, whilst Annie was break duty, but Mum didn't seem to think it was anything really abnormal, instead putting it down to Annie experiencing some mild amnesia, perhaps caused by consuming one too many cocktails on her date. Although Annie was a sweetie, she often got nervous when it came to men, and resorted to getting tipsy before she went on a date. Mum's explanation did sound plausible, but I still wasn't fully convinced. Annie never got plastered enough to not remember that she even went on a date in the first place.

Friday was also an incredibly bad day at school. The kids were unable to sit still, and Luke Hall was acting up more than he usually did (quite something by Luke Hall's standards). I ended up having to send him to Mrs Lee's office because his disruptiveness got beyond my control, but then I got an earful about why I'd done so from Mrs Lee at lunch. It didn't seem to matter that I was following the school's behavioural policy, set up by Mrs Lee herself. In fact, apparently, when Mrs Lee had a scheduled meeting with the school governor that she told no one about, we were unable to send her unruly pupils. Secretly, I thought it wasn't about that at all. Instead, Mrs Lee liked to take the opportunity to yell at me, probably because she was still in a mood over me taking a day off for the convention, and a day off to recover from a serious car accident, and this was just a way of venting her frustrations. I was near to tears by the end of her hour long rant- it had been a stressful day, and all I wanted to do by this point was put my feet up and down a bottle of wine, whilst feeling sorry for myself.

As it was Friday, we always had craft afternoon, and so the rest of the school day was spent making paper mâché masks like seen in Mexico for the 'day of the dead'. I was trying to use the excuse of incorporating our R.E syllabus into the craft afternoon, so it had an educational purpose, but I wasn't sure it quite worked. By the time the kids left, there was newspaper and glue all over the tables, the floor, and most of the kids' uniforms, so me and Annie were left to clean up most of the mess before the cleaners arrived.

"This is the first and last time we decide to do paper mâché." I muttered to Annie, desperately trying to remove the piece of dried glue that was now stuck to my trouser leg.

"Agreed." She confirmed from where she was crouched under the table, picking up newspaper.

"Honestly, Annie, why did I ever think this was a good idea? I should have known it would end badly from the start!"

"I take it that's a rhetorical question?"

"You know it! " I agreed, looking up from picking off the newspaper when I heard my classroom door swing open. Mrs Lee was exactly who I didn't want to see right now. But it wasn't Mrs Lee.

"Will?" I asked in disbelief. He'd said on the phone that he was bogged down with work, yet here he was in a suit, with a massive bouquet of flowers. I straightened myself, dropping the wad of mushy paper on the table next to me, and staring at him.

"Surprise!" He greeted with a smile. I ran over and hugged him tightly. Screw wine; a hug from Will was just what I needed after dealing with Mrs Lee. He wrapped his arms around me, and I pressed my nose into his chest, inhaling his scent. Already, I felt much better.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. " I thought you were busy with work all week."

"I thought I was. Well, I should have been. I pulled some long hours this week, which meant I could take this afternoon off and come up for the weekend."

"Really? The whole weekend?"

"All weekend." He confirmed.

"I am so glad you're here." I mumbled, fiddling with his tie.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He lifted my chin gently so that I was looking him in the eye.

"It's just been a rough day."

"Why?"

"Just Mrs Lee. She's the head." I explained, realising he didn't know who she was. "She was just… being herself. I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine." He replied, unconvinced.

"I am."

"Okay, if you say so. Oh, and these are for you." He held out the bouquet, and I took it from him.

"Thank you. They're beautiful." I was just leaning up to kiss him, when I heard something fall onto the floor. I turned to look, seeing Annie looking at us sheepishly; I'd completely forgotten she was even in the room

"Oh Annie, I'm so sorry! This is my boyfriend, Will. Will, this is my teaching assistant, Annie." I led us over towards them, and watched as Will kissed her on the cheek in greeting.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." She smiled back at him. "Now you better get going, Alexis- I'm sure Will's got plans for the pair of you." I looked up and Will for confirmation of her assumption, and he inclined his head slightly.

"No, Annie, don't be silly. I'll stay until we've cleaned up- I left early last week too." She shrugged in response.

"You get in earlier than me everyday anyway. Now go; it won't take me very long to finish here anyway." Her tone left no room for argument, so I didn't push it.

"You're the best, Annie." I hugged her. "I'll bring you chocolates."

"See that you do." She winked. "You can tell me all about it on Monday."

Smiling, I gathered my things, and waved good bye to Annie, leading Will to the car park. Will carried my class's books and my laptop, leaving me with nothing more than the bouquet of flowers, and my cardigan wrapped around my arm.

"So, what do you fancy doing tonight?" I asked, as we wound our way through the playground, and past remaining children that were yet to be picked up by their parents.

"It's not up to you this time, Lex. I've already made plans."

"Do I get to know about these plans?"

"Nope." He grinned, relishing being back in control. "I'm in charge this time."

"Fair enough." I agreed, reaching my car, and putting my stuff in the back seat. "But I can't leave Monty for that long, unless I drop him at Jack and 'Van's."

"Well, I'm thinking we'll need to leave here at 5 as we've got to drive somewhere, but we should be back by half nine." He leant against the metal framework, totally dwarfing it.

"Sounds good. I'll be able to walk him before we go in that case, and change." Monty was left on his own for most of the day while I was at school, but a dog walking service did come and walk him for a couple of hours every day in the woods. I didn't like him to feel alone while I was out, but it did mean he wouldn't be scared at the prospect of spending a few hours on his own.

"And I'll go and check in."

"You're in a hotel?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." I murmured, looking down at the floor. "I thought…"

"What did you think, Lex?"

"I thought you might have wanted to stay at mine." I admitted. I didn't want my boyfriend to have to stay in a hotel when he came to visit.

"I'd like nothing more. I was trying to be a gentlemen- I didn't want to invite myself round." I looked up and grinned at him for that- he was such a sweetheart.

"What, like I did?" I asked, remembering my lodging arrangements in London.

"That's different." He countered. I raised my eyebrow, but he didn't change his answer.

"So can you cancel?" I hedged, edging closer to him.

"I'll get right on it, sweetheart."

I was so glad Rach had bought me condoms.

As Will had driven up from London, we drove in separate cars back to my flat, both changing into casual clothes, and taking Monty for a walk before we set off. He'd refused to give me any clues about where we were going, so I had to wait patiently as we drove to our destination. We left Derbyshire on the M1, and headed into Leicestershire, entering Loughborough, and parking outside their university sport's centre.

"Okay, you've got me, I have no clue what we're doing here." I admitted as he took my hand, and led me out of the car park. We joined the back of a queue leading into the sports centre, and I caught sight of the banner over the door.

"Are you kidding?" I squealed, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

He produced a pair of super league netballs tickets from his pocket. "Loughborough Lightning versus Northumbria." He confirmed, handing them to me.

"You are seriously the best boyfriend ever!" I said, glancing over them in awe. Netball super league tickets were incredibly hard to come by, and tickets to the semi final were like gold dust. "How the hell do you get these?" He shrugged.

"Let's say, I can be very persuasive." He winked.

"Best boyfriend ever." I repeated leaning up to kiss him. He was definitely getting a reward later.

The match was fantastic- it was definitely the best date I'd ever been on. Ever. Will had even looked up the rules, so he knew what was going on! The icing on the cake came when Loughborough narrowly beat Northumbria; we'd been rooting for the Leicestershire side from the start, even though everyone knew Derbyshire was the best county. But hey, us midlanders had to stick together!

We stopped by at McDonald's on our way home for some food, both still buzzing from the match as we sat down inside to eat.

"And that last goal!" I exclaimed, taking another bite out of my Big Mac.

"Insane." He agreed. "From so far out, too!" He screwed up his wrapper, and tossed it into the bin, standing up from the table.

"You want to finish that in the car?" He asked, pointing to the rest of my burger and my mcflurry.

"Sure." I agreed. It was half nine now, and I wanted to get back to Monty. Finishing up as he drove, I dropped my rubbish into the bag, and set my mind on my next task: seducing Will.

I started off slowly, trying to flick my hair sexily like they do in the movies, eating the last spoonful of my mcflurry suggestively, before leaning over the console towards him. I let my hand rest on his knee, moving it slowly up his thigh. He swallowed loudly, stilling my hand before it crept any further upward.

"Sweetheart, you need to stop; I don't have the self-control." He said, sounding strained.

"What if I don't want you to stop?" He gulped, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. "I bought condoms." Well, technically, Rach bought us condoms, but he didn't need to know about her really strange interest in our sex life.

"Oh." He managed to choke out.

"Mmm" I agreed, smiling as he put both of his hands back on the steering wheel. I leaned over, and whispered in his ear. "You better put your foot down."

I'd never gotten back to my flat so fast. We screeched into the car park; the car had barely stopping before Will was round to my side- his lips pressed hungrily against mine. We stumbled up the stairs, barely able to unlock the door we were so wrapped in each other, falling through the the doorframe and fumbling at each other's clothes before we even made it to the bedroom.

"Well, now I know why you wanted birth control." We both jumped away from each other at the voice.

"Mum!" I cried, startled, turning to see her sat on the sofa with Monty, grinning at us both. I hadn't even realised that someone was in the flat with us.

"What are you-" I didn't finish my question, instead trailing off when I saw the stack of birth control pills on the coffee table. I'd completely forgotten she was coming over tonight- I seemed to forget everything when Will was around.

"So do I get to meet your friend?" She asked, looking at Will, who was awkwardly ruffling his hair, his other hand still clasped in mine. I guess being caught practically molesting your girlfriend in front of her mother wasn't exactly the best first impression.

"This is Will, Mum. He's my…"

"Boyfriend." Will interjected, sensing my hesitance and jumping at the chance to explain himself.

"No." I interrupted, my heart cracking when I saw Will's face fall- his hand loosening in mine. I squeezed his hand tighter; I wasn't about to deny that we were together. "He's not just my boyfriend, Mum. He's my soulfinder."

**So, Liz finally gets to meet Will- their relationship's truly progressing now! Wahoo! I know a couple of you were waiting for Will to finally meet Lex's family, so I hoped you liked it! Let me know what you thought in a review, and don't forget to follow and favourite! Thanks x**


	36. Chapter 36

**Apologies for the wait- I am working full time at the moment, so I haven't had much time to write. I will try to update more frequently, but it will be weekly failing that. Also, apologies if there are any grammatical errors in this chapter- I wanted to get it up as soon as possible, so I haven't spent much time proof-reading it. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed: anonymous reviewers, Alaska Krystal, Kiauna Gray, H-Musen, FindingSkyFan3, FinchyBenedict, SweetCang, IllustrentStellae, Rosie, Titania56, hayleyasha &amp; Rosietheactress. Thank you for your lovely feedback, guys- I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter!**

**Right, now onto an actual author note:**

**The netball girls' name may get confusing so here's a quick who's who as you'll get to meet them later on in the chapter:**

**Grace- GS**

**Gemma-GA**

**Rach- WA**

**Alexis- C**

**Hannah (Captain)- WD**

**Kate- GD**

**Emma- GK**

**36:**

There was silence, and then screaming. Lots of screaming. Lots of deafeningly loud screaming. Mum was the first to react; she leapt from the sofa at the speed of light, and pulled Will into a hug, sending poor Monty flying. Will hugged her back awkwardly, smiling at me over the top of her head.

_'Thank you.'_

_'No problem.'_ I replied. I knew how much he wanted to get to know my family.

_'Just prepare yourself.'_ I warned him ominously. He'd be regretting wanting to get to know my Mother once he'd seen what she was like.

"I knew something was up with you when you returned from the convention! Why didn't you tell me?" Mum asked, finally releasing Will from her embrace.

"We wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while." I lied, moving so I was stood closer to Will. His arms came around my waist instinctively, drawing me closer to him.

_'She doesn't know about Alice and Dragon.'_ I explained to Will. He nodded slightly to show he understood- a movement so slight that it was imperceptible to my Mum.

"Hmmm. Does anyone else know, Alexis?" She asked, looking at us with a huge grin on her face.

"Only Alice."

"And my family." Will chipped in.

"Alice knew and she didn't tell me or your father? I will be having words with her later!" I knew she was only half joking too. Although she wasn't seriously mad with Alice, I could tell she was still a little bit annoyed that she'd kept the information to herself, despite the fact that it was me that asked her to do so.

"Well, I've told you now." I said, trying to placate her.

"And thank goodness you did! I just can't believe Andrea met my son-in-law before I did!" She harrumphed. I stared daggers at her; I could do without her either scaring Will off, or giving him any ideas. I wasn't ready for marriage- we'd not even been officially together a week!

"So, Will." Mum said, turning her attention back to her new favourite person. "Come and have a seat, tell me more about you." She took a seat on the sofa herself, and patted the cushion next to her to emphasise her point.

"I'll go and make some tea." I said, allowing Mum to spend some time getting to know/interrogating Will. She was so enraptured by my soulfinder that she seemed to have forgotten I even existed. Will seemed to have that effect on people. Or, more specifically, women. With nothing more than a dimpled smile he could send my thoughts to mush, not that I'd ever tell him that. Leaving them to it, I slipped into the kitchen to grab some refreshments- I could tell this was going to be a long night. My mum could talk for England about nothing of consequence, so she'd be here all night talking to Will. We'd definitely need some sustenance.

I was right.

Mum questioned the pair of us for at least two and a half hours, by which time it was nearly midnight, and we were both nearly falling asleep. Mum, on the other hand, was acting like the energizer bunny on crack, bouncing in her seat, and flashing me a not so discreet thumbs up when she thought Will wasn't looking. She had rang Dad to tell him the news, but he was pulling a night shift and hadn't picked up, which was probably for the best. If he had, she'd have probably stayed here, and made us stay awake until he got here, so he could meet him too.

"Now, you must come for tea tomorrow night! In fact, I insist on it! I'll invite Jack and Savannah, and your father will be there too. Will can get to meet all the family!" She squealed. "Well, apart from Alice." She tacked on as an afterthought. "I do wish she didn't live so far away!" She bemoaned.

"Mum, Will might have plans." I explained, voicing what I figured Will must be thinking. She couldn't expect Will to drop everything to meet my family, and he'd be too polite to tell her he couldn't make it if he needed to do some work.

"No, Lex, it's okay; I'm free. I did have a reservation for us, but I can cancel it. I'd prefer to go for dinner with your family instead of in a restaurant." Mum beamed at his answer.

"Perfect! I'll get Alexis' baby photos out ready!"

"No you won't!" I countered. I did not want her to get out all the photos of me as a chubby baby. I was so fat, in fact, that I looked like the Michelin man logo, except I was made of fat rolls, not tyres. Not a good look. Not to mention the horrible 90s orange romper suits I often sported courtesy of Dad's rather questionable fashion taste.

"I'd like to see them." Will replied, twiddling one of my curls between his thumb and forefinger.

'Traitor.' I thought to him. He shrugged in response, winking at me.

"Then it's sorted! Come over for six, tea will be on the table for seven, and I'll have the albums out ready." I groaned, knowing that the battle was already lost.

"We'll be there, Mum." I confirmed. "I've got a netball match at 1, but we'll be back by then."

"See that you are." She picked up one of the boxes of pills and threw them to me. I caught it before it hit my chest. "Same time every day, Alexis. They're not effective until you've had a month's worth, so you'll need to use some other contraception until then. I want planned grandbabies, not accidents."

"Mum!" I hissed at her. I could have done without Will hearing that remark. She shrugged at me in response, totally unperturbed.

"They'll be beautiful babies." She continued, eyeing Will from top to toe as if assessing his fatherly suitability, and potential for producing cute infants. "Yes, they'll be beautiful. Anyway, I'll be off. I'll see you both tomorrow." She hugged us both before heading out the door. I let out a sigh of relief when she left.

"So I'm meeting your family." Will wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and pressed a chaste kiss to the side of my head. I leaned into him.

"Indeed you are." I replied, suppressing a yawn. "I am sorry about Mum. She can be a little…." I tried to search for the appropriate term, "overbearing at times."

"I like her."

"Good." I smiled at him, glad she hadn't completed ruined our chances. "You ready for bed?"

"Definitely- I'm beat." Turning, we headed for the bathroom to change, before crawling under the covers. It hadn't felt right sleeping in a bed by myself for the past week, so feeling his warm body against mine was bliss, and I was asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

XXX

Dealing with my mother, it turned out, was actually the most effective form of birth control. Having her present just before you were about to get to the good bit definitely killed the mood, and abstinence was definitely the best way of avoiding an unplanned pregnancy.

We slept in until late the next morning, taking Monty for a quick walk before going to collect Rach for the match at half eleven. Hannah insisted we got to the courts at least 30 minutes before the match began, and, as we weren't playing at home, it meant we had to set off earlier than I would have if we were playing at home.

Will had come along for the match too, and he had Monty on his lap in the front seat for the entirety of the journey. A journey, which turned into a very awkward journey courtesy of Rach, who managed to make far too many not so discrete sexual innuendos at every available opportunity. She even started asking Will about plumbing in America, and how big his hot water pipe was. She promised she'd never use that bloody pipe analogy again, and my glares at her in my rear-view mirror let her know that I wasn't impressed with her line of questioning. She hadn't realised that Will would be in Derby this weekend, so I could only hope her surprise at his appearance was what led to her rather inappropriate questions. Thankfully, Will didn't acknowledge her underlying questions, or ask why my face had turned a rather charming shade of fire engine red, which was just as well.

We arrived at the courts exactly half an hour before the match was to start, meaning, thankfully, that Hannah didn't have a panic attack. Henley, who we were playing, had a very strict policy on animals, so Monty wasn't allowed onto the courts, even though he was very cute. Instead, he and Will had to sit on the grass outside, something that Will insisted he didn't mind.

"We'll be fine, Lex." He had Monty cuddled to his chest, as he talked to me outside the gate. Rach was waiting for me just inside, but I wanted to talk to him before I went in to check that he was okay with looking after Monty.

"I'll take him for a walk if he gets agitated."

"That sounds like a very good idea." I scratched Monty's ears gently as I spoke.

"And I've got his tennis ball, so we can play fetch." He produced the mangled yellow ball from his pocket as proof.

"Seems like you've got all your bases covered."

"I like to be thorough." The look in his eyes made my stomach turn to goop. I'd much prefer him to be thorough in other aspects, aside from caring for Monty.

"I'll take you up on that."

"See that you do." He countered with a wink, before kissing me softly on the mouth. "Good luck, sweetheart." He said, as he wandered over to the grass verge opposite the courts, in order to get a good view. Rach had been hovering at the entrance of the courts, and had overheard most of our exchange. She intercepted me as I walked through the gate, linking her arm through mine, and dragging me forward.

"So, is there anything you'd like to tell, me or thank me for buying, Alexis?" She asked, as we walked towards our team who were huddled at the far end of the court.

"I'd like to ask you about your interest in Denver's plumbing systems." I raised an eyebrow at her, and she cackled, not in the least apologetic.

"Honestly, Rach, I really hope he didn't realise what you were really asking."

"Hey, I was subtle- he had no clue!" I rolled my eyes at that. Anyone with half a brain cell had known exactly what she was on about.

"So… how are American pipes?" She giggled, and I glowered at her in response.

"We haven't."

"What? He said he came round yesterday! Alexis, I bought you condoms and lingerie- what more do you need?"

"We were going to, but my mum was there. I wasn't expecting her" I whispered, aware that we were now nearly level with our team. As much as I loved all the girls, I didn't want to broadcast my sex life, or lack of one, to them.

"You got cock-blocked by Liz?" Rach squealed, keeling over with laughter, and drawing everyone's attention to us.

"Yes." I admitted, dropping my kit bag on the sidelines and joining the others.

"What's so funny you two?" Hannah asked with a smile, watching Rach's antics. She was literally holding her stomach, and struggling to breathe.

"Nothing." I muttered. "She's just being herself. Is everyone here?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Glancing round I saw that, indeed, everyone was present. Gemma and Grace, our two shooters, were putting some shots up at the other end of the court, whilst our defenders, Kate and Emma, were stood stretching with Hannah.

"All present and correct." Emma, our GK chipped in with a smile. "We wouldn't dare be late- Hannah would have our heads." She elbowed her teasingly, and Hannah blushed. She had such a reputation for being perpetually early, and expecting everyone else to do the same.

"Are you sure she's okay, Lex?" Emma asked, looking at Rach. "She doesn't look like she's breathing." At that, Rach stood up straight, and came over to us, tears streaming down her face. She leant on me for support, drawing in ragged breaths through her nose.

"I'm fine, guys." She managed to get out. "It's just… Lex got cock-blocked by her Mum!" And she was off again, cackling away like a hyena. Everyone's gaze swung back to me, and I groaned, raising my palm to my forehead and rubbing it. I did not need, or want everyone to know about this.

"Well that sucks." Kate replied. "At least it's not like you were just about to for the first time with him, or anything, though." I didn't answer her question. She took my silence as my answer.

"You haven't, seriously? And he's your boyfriend?" Her emphasis on the word 'he' was obviously well placed, as Kate's jaw, along with the rest of the team's dropped as they turned to admire Will in all his perfection.

"Alexis, how have you not?" Hannah turned to me, gawping. "Are you not human?"

"Not what?" Grace and Gemma asked, as they came over to us from the post they'd been shooting at, each with a ball under their arm.

"She's not slept with Will yet." Kate filled them in.

"But why? He's so into you, and he is gorgeous!" Grace thought out loud. Thankfully Will was faced away from us, throwing a ball to Monty across the field, so he hadn't noticed all of us staring at him.

"Yeah, the last time he was here, it was as if you two had walked straight out the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel. You are so cute together." Hannah sighed, smiling at me.

"And his bum is so pert!" Gemma ahhed, watching as Will bent over to retrieve the tennis ball Monty had dropped at his feet.

"Guys, once you've all finished sexually objectifying my boyfriend, maybe we could get back to the match?" The other team were already shrugging into their bibs, and we hadn't even properly warmed up yet.

They all turned sheepishly at that, muttering apologies which I waved off with a smile. His pert posterior was definitely worthy of their attention.

"Just make sure your Mum's not around tonight, Lex." Rach grinned, nudging me once everyone had calmed down.

"She won't be; we're going to my parents' for dinner, and then we're alone for the rest of the weekend."

"Right, now just put on some lingerie, and that's all you'll have to do." She added, and the others nodded in agreement.

"The skimpier, the better." Gemma added with a knowing grin.

"And keep us updated on the whatsapp chat!" Hannah squealed excitedly. We had a 'team chat' on the messaging app, so we could all keep in touch with one another, although its subject was usually netball, not how well my seduction of Will was going.

"If I say yes, can we get back to netball?" I asked, watching as everyone nodded in sync.

"Fine. I'll let you know what happens. Now, let's smash it."

"Yes, Lex!" Rach cheered. "Let's smash Henley, and then you can smash Will!"

"Not what I meant, Rach." I groaned, but she'd already started running down the court to warm up, laughing as she did. The rest of the girls were snickering too, and I shook my head. At least they hadn't asked for pictures.

XXX

Unfortunately, we lost to Henley. It was really close, but we missed a few chances, and it cost us. We all headed home straight after, but not before they all reminded me to keep them updated on my progress with Will. I thought Rach was bad, but having five other girls interested in your sex life as well as Rach, was definitely worse.

Monty had behaved himself for most of the match, and Will had managed to watch the majority of the game, before he had to take him on a quick walk around the premises to calm him down and expend some of his energy. We dropped Rach off on our way, and headed to my flat so I could shower and change out of my sweaty netball kit.

By the time I'd showered it was two, so we took Monty on a quick walk and did some work until we needed to get ready to leave for my parents' house. I had lessons that I needed to finish planning, and Will had to answer his emails and make a few calls, so it was a fairly productive afternoon.

"You wanna start getting ready?" I asked Will as I glanced at the clock. It was five past five, so we had about 35 minutes until we needed to set off to ensure we were on time.

"Sure." He agreed, shutting down the lid of his laptop. "You mind if I take a shower?"

"Knock yourself out." I smiled. "The towels are in the airing cupboard."

"You sure you don't want to join me?" He grinned cheekily at me.

"I showered less than four hours ago, Will- I'm fine." He pouted at that, but I refused to budge.

"Go: I've got to finish off this before I can get ready." I said, pointing to the half-completed worksheet I was designing for my class's spelling test on Thursday.

"Fine, but you're missing out, sweetheart." He wiggled his hips as he made his way towards the bathroom, slowly pulling off his top as he did so and shucking off his jeans, leaving a trail of clothes in his wake.

I giggled at his attempt at a strip tease; he definitely had the body of a stripper, but he didn't quite have their moves. I heard the shower running minutes later, and, after finishing off my worksheet, I headed into my room to change, collecting his clothes as I went.

Closing the door behind me I took a deep breath, and headed straight for my wardrobe, fishing out the bag of lingerie that both Will and Rach had bought me. It was time to put the girls' advice into action.

**So, there we go; I hope you liked it!**

**Do leave a review to let me know what you thought! Thank you for all your support, guys; I wouldn't write if it weren't for you reading &amp; reviewing x**


	37. Chapter 37

**WOOHOO! We hit 450, guys! I'm so happy! YAYAYAY! I honestly cannot believe it &amp; I'd like to thank each and every person for reviewing and reading this story thus far.**

**Thank you to Titania56, Rosietheactress, FindingSkyFan3, H-Musen, Finchy Benedict, Kiauna Gray, and all of my anonymous reviewers. I'm glad that you like netball, embarrassing moments &amp; Will as much as I do, and I hope you like this chapter!**

**Also, on a side note, I had a nightmare last night that Joss Stirling sued me for copyright, so I feel like this is a good point to put a disclaimer in here! The Finding Sky world &amp; all the characters that you recognise are Joss Stirling's, not mine! So, yeah, please don't sue me!**

**I'd also like to point out that this book is set directly after Seeking Crystal because I haven't read 'Misty Falls' as I was so disappointed at Seeking Crystal. So, if Will or any of the other Benedicts meet their soulfinder in that book then they won't be mentioned in this story, so apologies for that.**

**Anyway, now on with the story! Enjoy**

37:

Grabbing the first set of underwear I found, I slipped them on, and pulled on an outfit over the top, settling on a black skirt, and navy top. I didn't want Will to see my underwear before we arrived, so I changed quickly, stuffing the bag back into my wardrobe when I was done. In all honesty, my undergarments really couldn't class as underwear- they were really nothing more than mere wisps of fabric, something that I hoped Will would appreciate, considering they weren't as comfortable as my usual, trusty, plain black knickers. Still, matching underwear gave a girl confidence. I'd already shaved in the shower this morning, so I was feeling prepared.

Whilst I waited for Will to finish showering, I finished getting ready, yanking out a pair of heeled boots to wear, and trying to style my unruly hair. I'd managed to clip half of it out of my face successfully when Will walked in with nothing more than a towel around his waist. Droplets clung to the ends of his hair and, as he walked, a few beads dropped off, rolling down his chest and disappearing under the towel.

"Lex, can you help me find an outfit, please?" He asked, oblivious to my ogling.

"Sure." I murmured, distracted by the way his muscles flexed as he lifted his suitcase onto the bed. He hadn't got round to unpacking yet, and as he was leaving tomorrow, there didn't seem much point bothering now. Besides, it was relatively easy to live out of a small suitcase only big enough for a few articles of clothing anyway. Standing beside him, I pawed through his case, settling on a pair of black jeans, and a long-sleeved, navy blue shirt which I passed to him. He pulled them on quickly, and turned to look at me for my opinion.

"What do you think?" He asked nervously, opening his arms wide so I could take in his outfit fully.

"I think that we match." I laughed, looking at the pair of us in the mirror, and realising we were colour co-ordinated.

"Should I change?"

"No, no. It'll be fine." I assured him with a smile. "What's got you so nervous all of a sudden?" I asked, flattening down the collar of his shirt with my fingertips.

"Nothing, nothing…" He murmured, distracted.

"Don't worry, you've only got to deal with my over protective brother, and even more over-protective father." I teased. His eyes widened at that.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! They'll behave themselves, I promise." I assured him with a laugh.

"Are you sure?" I wasn't, but I wasn't going to admit that. Every time I'd brought a boyfriend round to meet my family in the past they'd been given a baptism of fire by my father and my brother. I could only hope that they'd behave differently knowing that Will was my soulfinder, not just my boyfriend.

"They'll love you." I lied, leaning up and kissing him in the hope that it would take his mind off my tone. I'd never been very good at lying, and I didn't want him to know that I suspected that the male members of my family would be difficult tonight. But, as long as they weren't pig-headed enough not to get to know him, they would love him. Definitely. Well, at least I hoped they would.

XXX

We left for my parents' house soon after, accompanied by Monty. My family always liked to see him, and I was hoping that if he ran around enough in their garden he'd tire himself out, and I wouldn't have to take him on an evening walk, leaving me and Will free to spend the rest of the evening as we pleased.

We took Will's car to my parents', stopping at Tesco so Will could buy flowers for my mother, a crate of my father's favourite beer, and a box of chocolates. I picked up a bottle of rosé for myself while we were in there, knowing that my parents usually only stocked red wine. Normally 'Van would share a bottle with me, but since she was pregnant, it would be just me. And, seeing as Will was driving, I could have as much as I liked. Not that I'd drink the whole bottle to myself or anything, mind- between Van and I we'd never manage to drink the whole thing. It was only on netball nights out that I ended up drinking probably the equivalent of at least half a bottle, which was exactly why I was always in such a bad state the next day. No, a couple of glasses would be enough to take the edge off my nerves about introducing Will, and explaining just why I'd not told them I'd found him at the convention.

"Right here." I instructed Will, as we pulled onto my parents' road. "It's one with the white garage."

"Alexis, they all have white garages." He laughed, slowing the car to allow him to take a look at the houses on the street. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific, baby." I blushed at that, realising he was right- practically every house on the street had a white garage.

"It's number 5, and it's on the right." I clarified. "Keep going for a little bit. It's the one with a red, gravel drive." He nodded, and followed my instructions, pulling onto the gravelled surface I indicated. My parents lived in what was once an old farmhouse. In fact, all the buildings on this road were either converted farm buildings too, or were new builds, designed to fit in with the rustic, country style of the other properties. As a result, their house was rather large, complete with a thatched roof, and lots of timber.

We parked alongside my Dad's car, climbing out with bags full of our purchases. Well, Will carried our purchases. He had the flowers for my mother in one hand, and the chocolates, wine and beer in a bag in the other. I , on the other hand, had my arms full of a squirming Monty. I'd forgotten his lead, so I had to keep a hold of him until I could let him loose in their enclosed garden- I didn't want him running off into the road, or worse, an oncoming car. Climbing the porch steps, I was about to open the door, when Will interrupted me.

"Shouldn't we knock?" His eyes flickered to the door nervously.

"Will, I lived here for 18 years, excluding the time I went to uni. I think I'm good to walk right in."

"Oh yeah. Right." He nodded.

"It's going to be fine." I assured him with a smile. He nodded, grimacing slightly as he did so, his apprehensiveness still present despite what I kept telling him. Smiling, I reached for the door handle with one hand, whilst keeping my hold on Monty with the other. However, it seemed me opening the door was unnecessary, as it swung open before I could grasp it, revealing my parents stood behind it. They'd no doubt been stood there ever since we'd pulled up, and had overheard our entire exchange. I rolled my eyes: bloody typical. Mum couldn't resist ear wigging at every opportunity.

"Alexis, Will; do come on in." She simpered. I snickered to myself- I never usually got such a welcome when I returned home. I stepped in first, with Will following behind me. Setting Monty down once the door was closed, I hugged both of my parents in turn, lingering in my father arms to whisper a warning in his ear.

"Behave, Daddy." He simply grinned at that, winking at me, and making no promise to do as I said. Why didn't that surprise me?

"Mrs Anderson." Will greeted my mother, handing her the flowers he had bought for her.

"Oh, they're beautiful, Will." She gushed, marvelling at their colours, and inhaling their scent. "Thank you. Look, Brian- Will's brought us flowers!"

"Yes, I can see that, Liz." I snickered, and Mum raised her eyebrow at him in challenge before turning her attention back to Will.

"Do call me Liz, Will. We don't go for formalities here, and Mrs Anderson makes me feel old."

"You are old, Mum." I pointed out.

"I'm 54, Alexis! Do excuse her Will- she gets her cheekiness from her father, not me." She swatted me lightly on the bum with her bouquet for my remark, bustling past me to the kitchen, and leaving the three of us in her wake.

"Come on through, you two- I need to put these in water." We stayed where we were. Will was the first to break the silence.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"I hope I can say the same, son."

"Daddy." I growled. I only called him Daddy when I wanted something, and right now wanted him to stop acting like an arsehole. Taking note of my tone, he held out his hand for Will to shake, which he took, although I wasn't oblivious to the way his hand clenched far too-tightly around Will's to be considered normal. There was far too much testosterone in the room for my liking.

"Will brought you some beer, Dad." I said, trying to ease some of the tension.

"Yeah." Will echoed, producing the crate of Fosters from the bag he was holding, and handing it to my Dad. He grinned when he saw the brand, taking it from it eagerly.

"Thanks, son. Let's head into the kitchen, you pair- I need to save the flowers before your mother drowns them." We watched them go.

"You okay?" I asked, taking his hand and squeezing it.

"No. This is terrifying." He looked at me with genuine fear in his eyes.

"He's just testing you." I assured him.

"He hates me."

"Is this a bad time to remind you that you were the one desperate to meet my family?" He glowered at me.

"You're doing fine, Will."

"Liz, I told you not to put that much water in the vase!" Dad yelled from the kitchen, breaking our moment.

"They are going to love you." I leaned up and adjusted his collar. "Now, c'mon." I took his hand and dragged him through to the kitchen, where Dad was wrestling the flowers away from my Mum.

"Are you okay if I let Monty out into the garden?" I asked my parents, noticing Monty peering longingly out of the patio doors at their lush garden.

"Would you mind waiting until Jack gets here, Lexie?" Dad asked, re-setting the flowers. "Maybe he could have a word with him about not messing up my flower beds before we let him loose."

"Sure." I agreed. Monty trashing Dad's begonias had left a lasting mark, and I didn't want him to cause any more casualties.

"What do you want to drink you two?" Mum asked, pulling glasses from the cupboard as she spoke.

"I've brought rosé." I said, grabbing the bottle from the bag that Will had set on the table.

"What do you fancy, Will?" Mum handed me a glass as she addressed him. "A beer?"

"Please." She went to the fridge to grab him one, returning with it and a glass.

"Aren't you driving, son?" Dad questioned him sharply.

"He can have one and still be under the limit, Brian."

"I'm protecting our daughter, Liz."

"You're being an arsehole." Mum countered.

"A word Dad?" I asked testily, striding out of the kitchen and into the lounge next door. "Now." I heard him follow behind me meekly, closing the door softly behind him as he entered.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Dad?" My father was a quiet, gentle soul- the complete opposite of my exuberant, and somewhat overbearing, mother. Although he didn't always like my boyfriends- he was never as discourteous as he had been tonight.

"Nothing." He looked at the floor.

"Dad…"

"Nothing's wrong, Alexis."

"You've just interrogated my soulfinder, and implied he'd drink drive when he was having one beer!"

"I did not." He noticed my furious expression, and tried to backtrack.

"Okay, I might have done." I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I did. But I only want what's best for you."

"What's best for me is that you at least give him a chance! Dad, he was the one that wanted to meet you- I didn't force him. And now you're making him regret it by acting like an overbearing oaf."

"Alexis…"

"Don't even try it. What's really the matter, Dad?" My voice softened at the end of my sentence, detecting from his body language that there was something underlying his unwelcoming behaviour.

"You girls grow up so fast." He smiled. "I've already got one daughter in Paris, and my other one's going to be moving to America before I know it."

"Is this what this is about?" He shrugged, looking down at the floor again.

"Oh Dad!" I cried, wrapping my arms around him and squeezing him tightly. "Who says I'm moving to America?"

"He's your soulfinder, Alexis. Soulfinders can't be apart." I pulled away to look at him.

"So you're giving him the third degree because you think he's going to convince me to move to America with him?" He smiled with watery eyes.

"How can I like the boy who's stealing my little girl from me?"

"And how could his mother possibly like the girl that's stealing her little boy away from her, and making him move to the U.K?"

"Touché." He admitted with a rueful grin.

"Besides, we haven't even talked about moving- it hasn't even crossed my mind, so you don't need to worry! No one's moving anywhere yet."

"You say that now…"

"Oh, Dad!" I hugged him again.

"I remember when you were just a little baby- I could hold you in one hand. And now look at you- my baby's all grown up, ready to start a family of her own."

"Dad!" I blushed. "We're not having babies."

"But you will." He smiled, still glassy eyed. "It's just hard for me to accept that- I'll always see you as my little girl."

"And I always will be your little girl, Dad. It doesn't matter where I am- you know that."

"I know, honey." He whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I love you." I whispered into his chest. He smelt familiar, he smelt of home.

"I love you too, sweetheart- more than you know. I'd do anything for you, Jack, and Alice."

"So if I ask you to stop being mean to Will?"

"Then I'll do it." The sound of a car pulling up onto the drive outside broke our moment, the tyres crunching loudly on the gravel.

"That'll be your brother. You okay to let them in, while I go and freshen up?"

"Sure." I agreed, knowing that he meant he needed time to compose himself, rather than slap on some more aftershave and re-apply his deodorant. "As long as you promise to stop treating Will like a delinquent."

"I promise, although I can't say the same for your brother." I rolled my eyes. Of course Jack would be difficult; he always was.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Take all the time you need, Dad." I smiled softly, following him out of the door. While he took the stairs, I headed back into the kitchen to find Mum and Will happily chatting away to one another. Will was nursing a glass of water instead of a beer, however; the silly, sensitive boy.

"All okay?" Mum asked, spotting me as soon as I came through the door. Will swivelled in his seat to look at me, and I came to stand alongside him.

"We're fine. Jack and 'Van have just pulled up." I picked up the that wine Mum had poured for me, and took a swig.

"Oh good! You two stay here- I'll go and let them in." Mum leapt from her seat and ran to the door, leaving us alone in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry about Dad. He'll behave himself from now on." He shrugged.

"I'll be the same when our daughter brings a guy home." I blushed at the insinuation, taking a large gulp from my glass, and promptly changing the subject.

"That doesn't make his behaviour right." I pressed a quick kiss to his lips in reassurance, hearing the front door open as I did.

"You ready for round two?"I asked. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders as if preparing for battle.

"As I'll ever be."

"We'll be fine." I took his hand, and squeezed it tightly. "We'll get through it together."

**I hope you liked this chapter; please leave a review to let me know what you thought! Hugs x**


	38. Chapter 38

38:

They walked in moments later, and we stood to greet them. I spoke first as they filed through, wanting the awkward introductions over as soon as possible.

"Jack, 'Van: this is my soulfinder, Will."

Their reaction was immediate: 'Van dropped her handbag, and Jack's jaw fell open.

"I'm sorry, what?" Jack asked, finally breaking his stupor.

"Didn't mum tell you?" I looked at my mother for confirmation. There was no way she'd be able to keep such information to herself. A family member need do little more than sneeze before she'd rang round and informed all other family members than they had a cold.

"I thought that you and Will would want to be the ones to break the news." Mum explained, leaning down to pick up 'Van's handbag and place it on the table.

"Oh." Well that definitely explained their reaction. Although Will knew who they were, they had never met him before, or even known he'd existed until a few seconds ago.

"You found your soulfinder?" 'Van clarified, still looking rather dazed.

"Yes. We met at the convention."

"But I thought you said you didn't meet your soulfinder at the convention." Jack stated, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Yes, I did." I agreed.

"That's what she told everyone, Jack. And she's going to tell us why over dinner, aren't you, Alexis?" My Mother explained. I nodded meekly.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Will." Savannah piped up, coming over to hug Will, allowing the awkwardness to dissipate.

"And you." Will replied, hugging her back with a smile. Savannah was even smaller than me, so their embrace was funny to watch. She moved onto me next, and I watched over her shoulder to see Jack and Will greet each other.

"He's certainly a looker, Alexis." 'Van whispered in my ear as she hugged me. I couldn't get quite as close to her as I used to because her bump got in the way. She hadn't been really showing before, but now there was a definite bump poking out through her t-shirt.

"Agreed." I giggled back, blushing. We watched with amusement as Will and Jack engaged in an awkward handshake/ hug.

"Now, I've got the baby photos out in the lounge for us to look at." Mum announced once pleasantries had been exchanged.

"No!" Jack and I chorussed in tandem.

"Yes!" Savannah squealed, clapping her hands together. "Will, you have got to see them- they are so cute together!" She grabbed his hand, and practically dragged him through to the lounge. He gulped and shrugged at me as he passed, seemingly unable to deny the petite, pregnant lady he'd just met. I smiled back, picking up my drink and preparing to follow him in.

"So is this why we've been looking after Monty more than usual?" Jack asked me quietly, watching the two of them and Mum disappear through the doorway.

"No comment." I replied, trying to ignore the heat I felt blooming in my cheeks.

"Al, why didn't you say anything? We'd have been- no, we are happy for you." I looked down at my drink and avoided eye contact.

"It's not my story to tell, Jack." I answered him cryptically. And it wasn't. Alice needed to tell everyone herself, not me.

"I-" Monty yapped then, obviously impatient that he was still prohibited from entering the garden, and I took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Jack, could you have a word with him, please? Dad won't let him go out unless he's agreed to behave himself."

"Sure." He agreed, obviously noticing the change of topic, but not pushing me on it. "You go through, I'll let him out in a minute. I don't know how your burly American's be dealing with those pair." He raised his eyebrows to indicate which pair he meant, and I smirked, Mum and 'Van could be a bit intimidating at times.

As if baby photos weren't bad enough (unbeknownst to Jack and 'Van), Mum had taken their old baby pictures and uploaded them onto a site which from them generated an 'accurate' (I think accurate was a rather sketchy claim from the site) picture of her first grandchild. This grandchild, in my opinion, looked rather more like a deformed alien, but for fear of my own life I kept that opinion to myself.

At dinner, Will even managed to make Dad warm to him, his performance earlier in the evening now forgotten as the two happily chatted together like old friends. His modest re-telling (at Mum's insistence) of his gallant rescue made 'Van gooey eyed, something Jack wasn't all too pleased about, but he was easily appeased by Will's promise to get him courtside seats to the basketball if he ever came to the States- Benedict security offered both electronic and physical protection, and many high profile athletes used their services. If my Mum wasn't already in love with Will, then his insistence to help clear the table and wash up would have made her fall head over heels for him.

"Please sit down, Will" She simpered, her hand on his shoulder practically forcing him back down into his seat. "You're our guest!"

"Honestly, Mrs Anderson, my mother would have a coronary if she knew I wasn't helping."

"Will, call me, Liz. Mrs Anderson makes me feel old!"

"Why Liz, you don't look a day over thirty." He smiled up at her and I swear to God she blushed at the compliment. I rolled my eyes at him behind Mum's back as I stacked the used plates.

_'__What? Overkill?'_ He asked, and I smiled back at him.

_'__If you're not careful she's going to kidnap you.' _He smiled angelically back up at Mum, thrilled to be having such an effect on her.

"Honestly, Brian tries his hardest to get out of washing up." She shook her head at his actions.

"Hey!" Dad interrupted from the kitchen. He was currently busy washing up all the delicate glassware that couldn't go in the dishwasher. "That's not true, Liz!"

"Well, why else did you buy me a dishwasher?"

"To make your life easier." He smiled, wandering through with a tea towel draped over his shoulder.

"Brian, a dishwasher is not exactly the anniversary gift I was hoping for!" She harrumphed indignantly whilst I snorted and Will tried his very best to keep a straight face.

"It was a very expensive dishwasher!" He defended himself. "And you forgot it was our anniversary!" Mum blushed at that. She was always forgetting important romantic dates. In our house it was always Dad who remembered it was Valentine's day, never mum.

"No I didn't- your gift just arrived late." He raised an eyebrow.

"Liz, the invoice in the package said that it was ordered on our anniversary, not before." He chuckled. Mum had the decency to blush, realising she'd been found out.

"Well, you'll be glad of the dishwasher when I'm away with Alexis." She pointed out. For Mother's day Alice and I had booked for myself and Mum to go and visit her in Paris. She was very excited.

Whilst they continued to bicker Will helped Jack and I clear the table and clean the kitchen. 'Van, much to her displeasure, was relegated to sitting and drying glasses due to Jack's insistence that anything else was far too strenuous for her in her current condition, despite that our parents, two trained medical professionals, agreed with 'Van, and said she could do more if she wanted to.

A few hours later, we headed off home, not before mum unsuccessfully cornered and interrogated me as to why I'd not admitted to finding Will immediately. I repeated to her what I had said to Jack- that it simply wasn't my story to tell, but she wasn't impressed with that answer. I left Monty with Mum and Dad, after he told Jack he fancied trying out the new basket they had bought for him. Honestly, Monty was such a diva! It seemed like he barely spent any time with me anymore!

"Do you think I did okay?" Will asked me nervously as we drove home. His hand was clenched nervously around the gearstick. I rested my hand on his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"They loved you." He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it as we waited for the red light above us to change. After we parked, we looped arms and headed up to my flat, my head lolling against his bicep as we walked. I let us in quickly, shucking off my coat and hanging it on the peg adjacent to Will's. It seemed right having his coat next to mine. Normal, even, as though the peg belonged to him and him alone. I kicked my shoes off onto the mat and turned to face him.

"Breaking Bad?" He questioned. I shook my head, flexing my index finger at him in my very best 'come hither' motion, until his body was flush with mine. I kissed him deeply, my fingers creeping under the hem of his t-shirt, tugging it upwards until he took the hint- his lips leaving mine only to pull it up over his head, before they came together again. He lifted me up against him, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, my fingers knotting in his hair. He walked us to my bedroom, navigating the layout expertly, a trail of clothes in our wake.

XXX

I woke the next morning to the feel of butterfly kisses ghosting along my spine, up my neck, and into my hairline. I rolled over and opened my eyes to see Will's warm hazel ones staring back at me.

"Good morning."

"It's a very good morning." He agreed wolfishly, grinning back at me. He kissed me swiftly, ignoring my morning breath, his hands clutching me closer under the covers, pressing me against him. I moaned into his mouth and he smiled against my lips. He knew he had me.

When we finally surfaced a couple of hours later, Wil was looking smugger than ever. I was nestled cosily into his side as he pressed kisses to the top of my head, my body sore, but sated.

"You look pleased with yourself." I commented, struggling deeper into the crook of his arm. His free hand toyed with one of my curls, stretching it before letting it ping back into place.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He grinned cheekily back at me. "I charmed the in-laws and got the girl." I snorted at his confidence.

"Charmed? You were hardly sure of that last night!" I rebuked him teasingly. In response, his fingers danced across my rib cage, and I gigged at his tickling. "Okay, fine, you charmed them. They love you. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." He agreed, his eyes twinkling. "My plan to seduce you has worked perfectly." He added cockily, the gleam in his eye let me know he was teasing me. I elbowed him in the stomach, and he let out an appropriate 'oomf' as if it had actually hurt him.

"Girls don't like arrogant boys." I scolded. "And your plan wasn't quite perfect."

"How so?" He demanded. "You're the only girl who doesn't like being sent presents, and still I succeeded."

"The photos." I pointed out.

"What photos?"

"Those creepy photos of me at the convention, with 'we will be together' written on the back. It didn't exactly scream romance."

"I didn't send you any photos." I could tell he wasn't kidding when he said it. "Do you still have them?" I nodded.

"Monty chewed them up a bit, but I've got them."

"Show me." Pulling on a dressing gown whilst Will pulled on his discarded boxers, he followed me through to the kitchen. On the windowsill where I'd left it was the envelope containing the ripped pictures. We pieced the remains together on the worktop.

"I don't like this." Will muttered, wrapping an arm around me to bring me closer.

"Are you getting a feeling like when you told me not to visit Sam?" I asked worriedly. He nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He promised. "My brother, Uri, can tell the past of an object just by touching it. He's in South Africa with his soul finder at the minute, but we'll get it to him, and get to the bottom of this." I wasn't convinced. An uneasy feeling had settled in my stomach, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't rid myself of it.

We collected Monty from my parents, and took a walk along the canal- stopping at a café for lunch along the way. It was a good way to distract myself from the photos for this afternoon. When we got back, Will had to leave for the States. Although he had tried to work from London, there were things across the pond that needed seeing too, and he'd put off going back for as long as he could. I didn't know when I'd see him again, which made the goodbye harder. He left with the photographs clenched tightly in his hands, and a promise that he'd find out who the photographs were from.

**Thanks for the continued support. Life got in the way of finishing this story. In order to give anyone who's still reading this closure, I'm going to finish this story within the next month. The chapters will feel rather rushed, but if I ever go back to this story I can always embellish them. I'll upload the next few chapters over the coming days as I've got the next two written down- I just need to type them up. Thanks.**


	39. Chapter 39

39:

The flat didn't feel right with Will gone. Monty was all that kept me from feeling alone, although with much lesson planning to get on with after such a hectic weekend I filled the time well, stopping only to text Will to check he'd boarded his flight safely, before heading to bed. I was exhausted, and the thought of dealing with small children all day tomorrow just wasn't appealing for once. Thank goodness it was the second last week before half term- I needed to re-charge my batteries.

Unfortunately, as if sensing my irritability, my class were rowdier than usual on Monday, resulting in four of them missing their afternoon break as punishment for their behaviour. As if the day couldn't get any worse, we then learnt that we had a surprise inspection from Wednesday to Friday, which even the most experienced of teachers dreaded.

I knew I was in for a stressful few days and was up until past midnight triple checking the lesson plans I had to provide for the inspectors and panicking that my class would decide to repeat Monday's bad behaviour. I'd only ever been inspected by OFSTED (the government's inspecting body) once before- two years ago at my old school. It wasn't a pleasant experience- I remember feeling my knees practically knocking together as the beady-eyed inspector glared at me over her spectacles, her mouth set in an ugly sneer.

I barely spoke to Will as he inspection approached, save for a few rushed skype sessions while I ate my tea- half listening to him and half perfecting my power points for the days ahead.

By Friday afternoon it was all over- my lesson had gone as well as could be expected with the troublesome Luke in my class, although even he manged to refrain from pulling someone's hair, or stealing their pencil. To celebrate, all staff (excluding our headmistress, who no one really liked) had ended up at the pub and now were all rather merry. In fact, even the rather frumpy Mr Wilkinson was having a good time- the barman had to come over to tell him not to dance on the table tops.

The last thing I remembered was replying to Will to tell him that I was enjoying the celebrations, before promptly running to the nearest loo to be sick.

Needless to say, I woke up on Saturday morning with a banging headache. I'd left Monty with Mum and Dad while I had the inspection (he was all too happy to spend more time in his new bed. It was apparently much cosier than the one I'd bought him.), fearful that I'd neglect to walk him while I was so stressed and so thankfully I didn't have him barking at m. It may have been 10.30, but I was pretty sure I'd got back at past 4 after me and Miss Gulliver decided to make everyone come clubbing with us in Derby.

Rolling over, I picked up my phone from my bedside table and saw I had 3 missed calls from Will and a response from Becky Gulliver. She'd managed to snag a rather attractive young man on the dancefloor of Perdu and had texted me in response to my garbled message asking if she was okay. Grinning at her enthusiastic response, I fired off a few more texts to fellow staff members, and one to Will, telling him I was okay. I didn't want to ring him, due to the fact that it was probably the middle of the night in Colorado.

Once I was sure all alcohol had left my system and I was safe to drive, I headed over to Mum and Dad's to collect Monty. I was bombarded by Mum about our upcoming Paris trip. With all the stress of the week I'd completely forgotten about the week away that we'd arranged for Mum. Originally, Jack was supposed to come with 'Van, but he'd backed out last minute when they found out they were pregnant, since he was unnecessarily worried about 'Van flying. Dad couldn't get the week off because he was at a surgical conference giving a lecture, so it was set to be a girls' week away. Mum was ridiculously excited- the prospect of a week of shopping and exploring the capital and its food was almost too much for her to bear.

We'd booked to fly from East Midlands, and were to stay at Alice's from Friday for a week. Mum had already packed her case when I arrived to collect Monty. I wasn't so prepared.

"So, I've got our itinerary sorted." Mum began, producing a printed document with a detailed timetable of exactly what we'd be doing each day. I'd forgotten how a holiday with mum was a regimented affair, in which every hour was accounted for. Still, hopefully Alice and I could persuade her to ditch some of the things on her list.

When I finally managed to leave, I took Monty for a walk and spoke to Will on the phone. He sounded stressed- he was off to the office on a Saturday he was that bogged down after being away for so long. It didn't help that his secretary kept forgetting to schedule important appointments. It sounded so unlike the woman I'd met in London. Apparently my drunken texts last night had amused him greatly while he was at work yesterday, which made me groan. Still, at least they'd brightened his mood. From what he'd told me it didn't seem like Will would be able to leave the States any time soon.

During the week, I made sure I planned all my lessons for the week following half term and had all my books marked to make sure I could fully relax and enjoy my time away.

The Friday before a holiday was always difficult as the kids wanted nothing more than to not be in school. I was counting down the minutes until 3pm, having spent my lunch frantically marking their morning's work.

Mum and Dad collected me from school (I felt like a five year old) and we headed straight to the airport from there. Dad dropped us off and headed home – he was working from Saturday to Thursday this week, which meant he could drop us today and then collect us on our return on Friday morning.

Alice met us at the airport and we headed straight to hers to unpack. Since Alice had enough spare rooms to accommodate us all, we'd decided to stay with her rather than pay some ridiculously overpriced fee for a hotel. As soon as Mum had her youngest child in her arms, she couldn't let her go.

"Are you eating enough? How's the apartment? Are you sure don't want to move back to Derby?" Alice answered good- naturedly as we took the metro to her apartment. She'd bought French bread and pastries for tea when we got in, which wasn't until about 11pm. Rather than unpack, we ate and caught up with one another.

"Alice, do you know about Will?" Mum asked during a lull in conversation, changing the topic entirely. Alice nodded and Mum frowned.

"Honestly, the pair of you! Why didn't you tell me if Alice knew, Alexis?" I didn't exactly want to tell mum why I hadn't.

"Erm.." I began, quivering under her stare. OFSTED inspectors could take lessons from my mother about how to be intimidating.

"And Alice, don't tell me you found your soulfinder at the convention and kept it quiet too!"

"Not exactly, Mum." She admitted. And that was how mum found out about Dragon.

It took over an hour (who never normally cried) to stop sobbing once Alice told her what had happened.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She cried. Alice shrugged.

"I didn't want to upset you."

"And that's why you moved to Paris?"

"It was a factor." She admitted. Mum cried harder. Once we'd managed to calm her down, we explained exactly what had happened at the convention- from Alice find out from Yves what had really happened on the night of the fire and finding out from Crystal that she had a new soulfinder, to me running away from Will because he was a Benedict and I didn't want to suffer from the same heartbreak as Alice.

"So when are you going to go and find him?" Mum asked Alice, using her hankie to dry her eyes.

"I don't know." She admitted, biting her lip.

"If you don't go now, you'll never go." Mum warned. "You've been given a second chance- you've got to take."

"I know. It's just it's a long way to go on my own and I don't know where to start looking if he wasn't at the convention. The net didn't have him on record."

"The Benedicts would help you." I said, knowing Crystal would be all too happy to help.

"Why don't you go together?" Mum asked. "Alexis could see Will, and you could go and look for your soulfinder with the soulseeker's help."

"I don't know. It would be way too expensive for me to rent somewhere out there and I don't know if Will would want me to come and stay." To make such expensive, long- haul flights like that worthwhile you'd have to go for at least a month and I didn't know if he'd want me there for that long.

Both Mum and Alice snorted at me. Reassuring, I know.

"Lex, we could go over the summer holidays while the schools are shut."

"You can't expect Will to be the one always flying to see you." Mum chipped in. "And when else will you have as much free time to go and see him?"

"I'll think about it." I hedged.

"No. You'll ring him now, or I will." Alice threatened, pulling out her phone.

"Okay, fine." I said, realising I'd have no option but to ring him. "I'll call him now, okay?" They both beamed and I rolled my eyes at the pair of them as I made my way to my room to call him in private, away from budding ears. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, sweetheart. How's Paris?"

"Good, thanks. We got to Alice's about an hour ago- she's finally told Mum about Dragon."

"Ah… How did that go?"

"As to be expected, I guess." The tears, and mum practically hugging Alice to death were not all to surprising reactions. "Anyway, I was just ringing to ask you how something… and I won't be upset if you say not" I babbled nervously. "But I was wondering how you'd feel about me coming to visit you in the States? Alice wants to look for her soulfinder, and doesn't want to come on her own, and with school it's when I get the longest holiday if I came at the end of the year. I don't want to intrude-" He cut me off.

"Lex, I'd love you to come, don't be stupid. How long would you be able to be here for? And when? I'll look the flights."

"Woah, woah, woah! You'll do no such thing! You always insist on paying. They're my flights, so I'll pay." Even if it does nearly cripple me I added silently in my head.

"I've got air miles that need to be used up before they expire, and I won't get the chance. It would be silly to waste them."

"Fine." I agreed. "But you'll let me know how much the flight costs and I'll pay you."

"In cash or in sexual favours? Because from you I only accept sexual favours." He was incorrigible, but I loved it.

"You can have both or neither." I laughed. "In fact, accepting cash means more sexual favours." There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

"Okay." He admitted defeat. "When would you be coming?" I opened my diary and flicked through the pages. So far I had no summer plans apart from going on tour to Butlins with the netball girls, which could easily be cancelled.

"Well, term finishes on the 25th of July, and I'll need to be back before September, but that doesn't mean I have to stay for that long." I was quick to point out. "And I'll have to check what dates work for Alice."

"I'm happy for you to stay until September, or whenever you want, really." I smiled, relieved. "How about you check with Alice and let me know? You'll need to appy for tourist visas, but we've got links in that office, and they're more lenient when they know you're coming to visit or look for your soulfinder."

"Sounds good." We exchanged goodbyes, and I went to tell Alice my news. The dates I had, worked for her, and we decided we'd leave after I'd finished school on the 25th of July, and get an open return, since Alice didn't know when she'd be back, and despite Will's assurances that I could stay for however long I wanted I wanted to be able to come back whenever I wished. When I rang Will back half an hour later to tell him we were definitely coming to Colorado he was delighted. He transferred his air miles to Alice who had a few of her own, and she booked both our flights which ensured we were sat together. The Andersons were off to Colorado.

Our week in Paris was wonderful. It was great to be able to spend some quality time together as a family. We visited most of the sites on Mum's itinerary, and enjoyed the great cuisine and sunny weather. Alice and I went running around the city centre at night when it was cooler, enjoying the sight of the Eiffel tower lit up against the dark night sky.

We also got a fair bit of shopping done, although I remained fairly stingy since the flights to Denver had knocked a big chunk of my savings, even though Will kept transferring the money back to me. It had become a sort of game between us- no sooner had it left my account, than Will had transferred it back in again. Eventually, we compromised, and Will, rather than accepting my money, promised to donate it to a charity of my choice, although I was still suspicious that he hadn't told me the true cost of the flights, and was giving me a slightly lower figure. He'd taken to messaging me daily how many days it was until we got to see each other again, and it never failed to put a soppy grin on my face. It was sickening. What was happening to me?

Friday rolled around much quicker than expected, and we were soon swapping sunny Paris for rainy Derby. Alice was coming to stay at my flat for a couple of weeks before we left for the states so she could catch up with the rest of the family- I knew they all missed her terribly.

Over the next few weeks I struggled with the distance between me and Will. My upset was heightened by the fact that I spent many evenings at Rachel and Dan's helping them with their wedding plans, and the fact that at our annual presentation evening I was one of the only girls without a partner. Skype was a godsend, and I kept myself busy by spending every free minute I had doing all the schoolwork I'd usually do over summer, so I had only a minimal amount to do when I got to the States. When Alice arrived she even helped me by offering to mark all of my class's maths books, which was a great help.

Alice's arrival also brought with it the truth about the convention and Dragon, which Jack, 'Van and Dad took just as well as mum did, which was: not very well. Once they'd cried themselves out, however, they were all very enthusiastic at the prospect of Alice finding her soulfinder in Canada. Although she was nervous, I could tell from the gleam in her eye whenever she talked about Canada that she was very excited. I couldn't wait. Colorado couldn't come soon enough.

**Review?**


	40. Chapter 40

40:

On the Friday morning of our departure I woke up to another text from Will

_1 day! See you later, beautiful!_ I grinned.

Our first light was to Dublin from East Midlands. From there we were flying to Boston, before catching a connecting flight to Denver, where Will was picking us up. It was set to take over 18 hours when you added in all the time spent in the airports, and nearly 13 hours in the air

We landed in Dublin at 10pm, after leaving straight after I finished school, so we had an hour and a half to get through security before we were back in the air again.

In Dublin, you went through the stringent American security, which meant on the other side you could walk straight off, rather than go through security when you were weary from the journey. Everyone there was very serious- I didn't see any one of the staff smile. When my belt set the scanner off I was quite sure I was going to get arrested on the spot! Thankfully, I wasn't, and we managed to get through everything else relatively easily. By 1am we were on board and preparing for take-off.

I slept most of the way to Boston, waking only for breakfast and to admire the landscape below when we finally caught sight of America beneath us. In Boston, it was really early morning, but we were rushed through the airport onto our final flight, so didn't really get to see much of the city, aside from the inside of the terminal.

"It's amazing that you can fly for free with air miles, isn't it?" I asked Alice as we were strapping in for our flight to Denver.

"What airmi- Oh yeah, really good." She corrected herself.

"Alice…" She ignored me, and instead pretended to read the safety instructions from the pouch in front of her. I made a mental note to ask about Will about those air miles, or lack of them as it would seem, later.

It was 1pm local time when we landed in Denver, and I could already tell it was going to be hard for me to stay awake until a reasonable time since it was 9pm back in England, and travelling was exhausting ordinarily. I texted Mum and Dad to let them know we'd arrived safely, before flying off a similar text Will. He replied immediately saying he was already on his way to collect us, whilst Mum sent me a picture of Monty curled up in bed. He was staying with Mum &amp; Dad and Jack and 'Van while I was away.

It took us a while to disembark since an elderly passenger had decided to shuffle off first, despite the fact he was supposed to wait until last, as per the pilot's instructions. Our bags took forever to come round on the carousel- they were practically the last ones off! I was feeling impatient- I could feel that Will was nearby, but I couldn't go to him yet. Alice found it all very amusing.

"Honestly, Lex, will you stop tapping your foot and fidgeting?" I scowled at her. "If you're that desperate I'll get both the bags and I'll meet you and Will in arrivals." She laughed. I shook my head.

"It's fine. I'll wait."

"If you say so." She smirked.

Ten minutes later, bags in hand, we headed through to arrivals. I craned my neck above the crowd to try and spot Will, my eyes eventually landing on him over the crowd. He didn't spot us until we were less than ten metres away from him. He was holding a sign: 'Alexis &amp; Alice Anderson'. He grinned broadly as he saw us, meeting me half way and pulling me in for a kiss. I pulled away sooner than I'd liked to have done, as I remembered Alice was with me.

"I missed you." I whispered, our foreheads still pressed together.

"I missed you too." He echoed. I smiled, struggling to pull myself away from him, so he and Alice could greet one another.

"Hey, Al! How you doin'?"

"Good, thanks." She smiled. My hand found its way to Will's, and they laced together effortlessly. He took my suitcase in his free hand and we made our way out of the terminal.

"It's only a ten minute ride to my condo from here." He explained as we wove our way through the car park. "I thought we could go out or order in, depending on how you two felt?"

"Sound good." Alice replied and I nodded in agreement, trying my best to keep my eyes open. Will piled our cases into the boot and we set off. Alice was staying in Will's spare room while she worked out her plan of action with Crystal.

"I thought we could go to my parents' tomorrow. Everyone is back home at the minute." I stiffened in my seat. Stupidly, I hadn't really thought about the fact that I'd be meeting Will's family while I was here. I'd only bumped into a few of them at the convention. What on earth must they think of me for running away from my soulfinder?

_You okay?_ Will asked

_Just nervous. _I admitted.

_They're excited to meet you. They wanted to come to the airport, but I told them that might be too much._

I was glad he'd said no. The whole Benedict clan showing up unexpectedly at the airport would have been a sure cause for me to have a meltdown.

_Thanks_

_Not a problem._ He took his eyes off the road to wink at me.

As we drove through the city, Will pointed out its major attractions, his favourite restaurants and the best parks. When discussing what I'd do when I was here Will suggested that while he was at work (he'd booked a lot of vacation time, but wouldn't be able to take 6 whole weeks off like me) Alice and I could explore while she was here. Then, the younger couples (who were all home from college for the summer) could find things for me to do. Most of the, when they came home, helped out with the family business- white water rafting- in the summer months and I'd told Will that I'd be happy to get stuck in if they didn't mind training me up. The rest of the time I'd be spending with Will or lesson planning ready for the next academic year. I only really needed a laptop for that, and I'd brought mine along for the job.

Will's condo was similar to the flat he had in London: modern and full of high- end equipment and furnishings. It was very different to the clutter I lived in at home. We ended up ordering pizza once we'd unpacked. Will had made some space for my belongings in his room, and left me to it, save for helping me put my underwear away until I told him to 'beat it!'.

"So…" I asked Will once we were curled up in bed. Colorado was warmer than England, so Will had foregone pyjamas and underwear, and we only needed a thin duvet. "Those air miles." I felt Will tense slightly as my head was resting on his arm.

"What about them?"

"You didn't have any." I deadpanned. I could see him trying to formulate some excuse, but he didn't manage it in time. Thanks to Alice's trip- up on the plane earlier he'd been caught.

"So, how much do I owe you?"

"You already paid me."

"We both know that wasn't the true cost of the flights."

"Okay." He admitted. "But I don't want you to repay me in cash." He waggled his eyebrows. I knew exactly what he was getting at. Suddenly, I didn't feel quite so tired anymore.

The next morning Alice and I slept in. The nine hour time difference had hit us both quite badly. I was only roused by the smell of pancakes and the sound of chatter from the kitchen. I wandered to the bathroom to freshen up, showering and dressing quickly, and heading to join them.

"Morning." Alice greeted me cheerfully, as she clutched the large black coffee in her hands close to her chest and took a sip. I kissed Will chastely and replied in kind.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Will shook his head.

"Nope. I've got it all under control here- it's a good job you woke when you did- we were about to come and wake you." He was adding more pancakes to the growing stack, and I licked my lips involuntarily. Benedict pancakes were like no other. I sat on one of the stools next to Alice, helping myself to a glass of orange juice (which didn't taste so great because I'd only just brushed my teeth).

"So, what's the plan of action for today, then?" I asked, pinching a couple of blueberries from the bowl on the counter.

"Well," Will began, flicking the hob off and bringing the small mountain of pancakes over to the table. "Mum's invited us to lunch at 1, and it's about an hour's drive away from here. Uri's already looked at the photos, but we wanted to get everyone else's opinion on them too, so we thought we could do that after. Yves has said we can stay with him and Phee as they're only down the road to save us having to drive back. Then, tomorrow, I thought I could give you a tour of Wrickenridge."

I hadn't really listened to much of what Will said because I was too fixated on the fact that Uriel had analysed the photos.

"What did he make of them?" Will passed me a pancake.

"He didn't get much." He admitted. "Because it was sent via post so many people had handled it, that there was a lot of interference, which made it difficult to look for the actual sender. But, he was wary of what he did find. He got a 'bad vibe' he said, but Uri also gets bad vibes from petrol pumps and hotel rooms, so it's probably nothing. We're just erring on the side of caution by seeing what everyone else can sense."

"Okay, good." I nodded, rather reassured by Will's explanation. I added some blueberries and a dollop of Nutella to my pancakes.

"Are we heading off after this?" Alice asked, as I passed the Nutella to her. Will nodded.

"We've got time to pack an overnight bag, but we'll be heading straight off once we've done that.

My pancakes felt heavy in my stomach. Meeting the whole Benedict family at once sounded very intimidating.

The drive to Wrickenridge was fun. Will had bought Alice and I some cheap US sim cards for our stay, which we'd quickly hooked up to our bank accounts, and now he was being treated to some super cheesy pop playlists. With access to Spotify, Katy Perry blared as we drove, and although he wouldn't admit it, Will definitely knew all the words.

As we headed out of Denver and into the mountains, we peeled off the freeway, and onto a smaller road. Wrickenridge began to be signposted half an hour into our drive, as we followed the road as it curved along the foot of the mountain. From here, the mountains looked all the more magnificent, if slightly imposing. I craned my neck to peer up at their peaks, which were still dusted with snow, even at this time of year. Will was telling us their names and pointing them out to us as we began to climb upwards.

Wrickenridge was a mountain town, slightly higher than sea level, but sat at the foot of the valley. It was cute and quaint- abuzz with life and people. It was hard to see how Will was impressed by the Peak District when I took him up- they were hardly majestic compared to the size of these monsters. Will pointed out the local shop and his old high school as we passed them. The iconic yellow buses you see in the movies were parked outside, to mine and Alice's delight.

The Benedict family lived on the outskirts of town, a little higher up the mountain. We passed Yves and Phee's house on the way- a timber cabin that melded seamlessly into its surroundings. A little way beyond their house, just poking out above the treeline, higher up in the mountain, I could just make out a large shell of a building.

"What was that?" I asked Will, as we rounded the corner and it disappeared from sight.

"That house?" I nodded. Although, 'house' wasn't an accurate description- it looked more like a mansion.

"It's derelict- been like that ever since I can remember. The story is that the old owner wanted the biggest, most luxurious house in Colorado, but died before he could complete the project. He was a loner, and so it's been left to ruin ever since."

"That's a shame." Alice murmured from the back seat.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed. "We used to play round it as kids- it would have been gorgeous."

We climbed only a little further before Will turned off the main road, and onto a gravel drive, the house coming into view as we changed direction. It was a good job they had so much land surrounding the property- I counted at least ten cars parked outside. Yves and Phee pulled up behind us as we were climbing out of the car.

"Hey, guys!" Phee cried with a slight American twang as she raced towards us, enveloping both Alice and I in a large hug, whilst Yves greeted his brother. Once released, Alice and I greeted Yves, and we all headed towards the house.

"So, how do you like Colorado so far?" Phee asked.

"It's beautiful."

"The scenery here is like no other." She agreed. "The mountains are just spectacular, aren't they?" I nodded.

Alice had fallen in step with Yves, while I was clutching onto Will so tightly that he wouldn't be able to let go even if he'd wanted to. I wanted him next to me for support when we went in.

We headed through the faded red front door and were met with a wall of noise coming from what I could only assume was the kitchen.

"Zed, don't you dare put that in your mouth, it's not time to eat yet- not everyone's here yet!"

"But I'm hungry!" There was an angry 'tssk' from the first speaker.

"Should I take these plates out, Karla?"

"Please. Thanks, Sky. Zed, don't think I can't see you! Honestly, you can wait a little longer."

"Mom, we're here!" Will yelled. Almost instantly Karla appeared in the doorframe, her face breaking out into a wide smile.

"Alexis!" She beamed, pulling me in for a hug, before doing the same to Alice. "How was your flight?"

"It was fine, thanks, but we're both feeling a bit jet-lagged." Alice nodded in agreement.

"Ah, yes, the time zones are quite different. A few early nights will put you right. We're so glad you're both here."

"Thanks for having us."

"You're always welcome." She made sure to look at Alice as she said this, to make sure she knew she was included in the offer.

"Mom, where are the rest of the burgers?" A voice from the kitchen floated through to the hallway.

"I'm coming, Trace. Give me a minute."

"Will, can you introduce everyone? He'll cause carnage if I leave him unattended in the kitchen."

"Sure, mom." He kissed her cheek and after quickly greeting Yves and Phee she scurried back through to the kitchen to continue to organise proceedings.

"This way." Phee pulled us through the living room to the conservatory. We went through the patio doors and out into the garden. It was a beautiful day and Saul was commandeering a huge BBQ with Zed's assistance. They had spread blankets out across the grass and most of the family were sat chatting whilst Karla enlisted her sons' help to carry plates laden with salads and dips out to a large picnic bench.

Alice and I were greeted with warm smiles and hugs from all the family members. Vic and 'Roory were absent from proceedings because 'Rory had come down suddenly with a bad case of the flu, but everyone else was present.

Crystal grabbed Alice and together they started to formulate a plan about how best to try and find her soulfinder based on what Crystal could detect, whilst I ended up cooing over baby Delilah with the other soulfinders while Will helped his brothers with the BBQ. With Yves manipulating the flames, the food didn't take long to finish, and soon everyone was sat in a large circle with plates on their lap, chatting and watching Delilah crawl round in the middle, since Diamond had already fed her. It was exactly the informal family affair that I loved. I was sat between Will's legs, leaning back against his chest in a food induced coma, chatting to Phee about how she was working at the local library over the summer. She had graduated this year, as her degree on lasted for three years, but she was heading back to Uni with Yves in September, and finding a job while he studied as they didn't want to be apart. She wasn't sure what she wanted to go into, but the library was a starting point.

"Well, if you've ever got kids in for story time I'll be happy to come and help." I offered. "I've got a few books I was thinking of reading to my class next year, and it would be good to trial them out first." I was to be teaching 7 and 8 year olds next year, which I was both excited and nervous about. They were my favourite age group to teach, but having not taught them since my teacher training days three years ago, I was a mix of excited and nervous. I wasn't looking forward to planning all my lessons from scratch with their curriculum, that was for sure.

On my other side, Will and Xav were arguing over who was going to win the Tour De France, while Crystal and Alice were still intensely discussing Alice's plan of action.

"I'm pretty sure he's in Quebec." Crystal said. "Definitely the French- speaking part of Canada for sure, but just let me check again." She closed her eyes, and furrowed her forehead as she concentrated. Phee and I tuned into their conversation, eager to hear what Crystal could sense.

"Yes." She nodded decisively to herself in confirmation. "Definitely Quebec."

"So, what's the plan of attack?" I asked, looking to Alice to see what she was thinking.

"The Net's got some links in Quebec, so I'm going to fly there in a few days to stay with them and start looking. They've got a list of potential soulfinders, I just need to start meeting them."

"I've asked some families to start looking outside members of the Net if they know any." Crystal added. "If there's no joy there, I'll fly out and help look."

"So soon?" I asked Alice, upset that I wouldn't get to spend all that much time with my sister.

"I want to go now in case he moves. It would take ages for Crystal to locate him so precisely again." I nodded in understanding. I was excited for Alice, but I'd miss her all the same.

As the afternoon drew to a close, we began to tidy everything away. It was a team effort, and with so many hands the garden was cleaned in under twenty minutes, and the kitchen returned to its previous immaculate state.

Whilst Diamond took Delilah upstairs for her nap, the rest of the family gathered in the lounge to combine their abilities and see if they could dredge up any more information on who had sent me the photographs.

Uriel couldn't see any more than he'd already disclosed, and neither Will or Saul could sense any immediate danger. Karla, Zed or Alice couldn't see anything out of the ordinary in my future either, so it was all very anti-climactic.

Still, it was a relief to know that if so many talented savants couldn't find a problem, it probably meant there wasn't much cause for concern. Besides, if someone did come along, given the Benedicts track record of outwitting the Countessa, the Seer and Sky's kidnappers, they'd be stupid to try something on the Benedicts with all their gifts, or so I thought.

**Please leave a review! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed already! I have now completely finished this story. My final chapters are waiting to be up put up (47 chapters in all and an epilogue). I will post them every few days, or sooner if enough reviewers want that.**


	41. Chapter 41

41:

As evening approached, we left the Benedict family home to go to Yves and Phee's, after promising Saul and Karla that we'd be back soon.

Trace, Diamond &amp; Delilah and Uriel and Tess were staying there, whilst Sky and Zed were staying with Sky's parents. Everyone else was staying at Yves and Phee's. When I asked why they didn't want to stay in the main house, Crystal had a very simple answer.

"Although Xav and I are nearly 22, Karla still doesn't let us share a room." She explained. "At Yves and Phee's we can."

"She doesn't like to broadcast it, Alexis, but what she means is that she's a sex pest."

"That's not true!" Crystal cried indignantly. "And if you're not careful you won't be getting any." We all laughed as Xav pouted.

Xav and Crystal came in our car, and we followed the others down to Yves and Phee's house. Although spacious and modern, it was both cosy and homely, with many cute pictures of the pair of them dotted around, and plenty of books. I didn't know why Phee wanted to work at the library- she already lived in one! I'd never seen so many full bookcases!

"So," Sky began "what are we doing for the next few days." Everyone bar Will was free for the week. At the minute, the water in the river was low, so the family's white water rafting business would be starting up next week, once the levels were higher. Everyone looked to me and Alice, to see what we were thinking of doing during our time here.

"I'd like to see Denver a bit more."

"And I'd like to go white water rafting if possible." Alice chipped in.

"It's going to rain on Wednesday night." Zed pointed out. I could see him searching for the future weather in his mind. "So we could go on Thursday?"

Alice nodded happily at this suggestion. She'd googled flights while she was with Crystal, and had found a suitable one on Friday morning.

"Sounds perfect." I smiled.

"I was going to take Alexis and Alice hiking tomorrow and show them Wrickenwridge if any of you wanted to come?" Will offered.

"I'm up for it." Phee smiled, and Yves nodded his assent.

"We're out visiting a gallery with my parents." Sky explained, rolling her eyes. Her and Zed looked absolutely thrilled at the prospect. "But we're up for the other days."

Xav and Crystal decided they would come along too.

"You can see all Wrickenridge has to offer." Xav grinned.

"Which isn't very much." Zed butted in. Sky nudged him.

"There are definitely worse places to live, Zed." She pointed out.

After finalising our plans, Alice and I headed to bed while the others chatted, having still not quite adjusted to the time zone. Will was on the phone to his PA, who had forgotten he was off tomorrow, even though he'd said he wouldn't be a week ago, so she was now frantically trying to re- arrange everything tonight.

"She's been getting confused all week." He exclaimed, running a hand over his face in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong- she's never normally like this. She's never got my appointments wrong before, yet for the past two weeks she's got them wrong every day." Not wanting to distract him, I headed to bed alone and was fast asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Monday was hot and sunny- the perfect day for what Will had planned. We made a picnic and walked along a little- known trail until we hit a lake, where we paddled. Xav was even brave (or stupid) enough to go for a swim in his boxers to everyone's amusement. We stopped off at the local burger joint in town for tea before we headed back to Denver.

The next couple of days were spent in Denver, trying to pack in all the tourist attractions. The other couples arrived at around 10am, and stayed the night so we could get two days' worth of sightseeing in. We visited the botanic gardens, and the art museum on Tuesday, and spent the second day at Elitch Gardens- a water park, where we went on all the rides

I was falling more in love with Colorado every minute. Derby paled greatly in comparison to this vibrant city, and the beautiful landscape that lay just beyond its borders. Will couldn't get Thursday off work to come white water rafting, so Alice and I were getting the train back from Wrickenridge to Denver, which we were both (sadly) very excited about. Dad was obsessed with trains, so as a family we had spent many hours on board. The prospect, therefore, of an American train was really quite exhilarating.

Exhilarating though the train ride was, it didn't quite have the same adrenalin rush as white water rafting. I was unprepared for the surge of adrenalin that came as the water churned and buffeted our boat, the way you had to work as a team to stay in it, and how you had to cling on for dear life. We'd spent the whole day in the water, and already I wanted to go back and do it all over again.

Alice's flight was leaving tomorrow, so I spent the rest of Thursday helping her wash all her clothes and re-pack. I could tell she was really nervous, but Will did a great job of calming her down.

"Alice, I managed to win your sister over. If I can do that, the impossible can definitely be made possible." I punched him in the arm for that and they both laughed.

We dropped her off at the airport, and she promised to keep us updated on what she was getting up to. I was really excited to get to meet my new brother- in- law.

Over the weekend, Will took me round Denver, taking me to his favourite parks and eateries. I ate far too many hot dogs and had way too much ice cream, but I decided I'd go for a run on Sunday evening to ease my guilt.

Will helped me plan a short, simple route using google maps. Although Denver had a grid layout like many American cities, it was still easy to get lost.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just come with you?" He asked after he'd been through the route for the third time and I still hadn't quite got it.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." I promised, tying my laces. "It's right at the top of the road, right by the pizzeria, and then right again at the top of your road."

"More or less." He agreed. I'd obviously not got it quite right- I could tell by the look on his face, but I was close enough.

"If I'm stuck I'll google map it. I've got your address." I kissed him quickly, and headed to the door, taking his spare key in my pocket with me in case.

"Stay safe- remember we drive on the right, so be careful when you cross the road!"

"I will be!" I promised, heading through the door.

"Okay, love you." My feet faltered on the door mat as the front door closed behind me. Had he meant to say that? Or had he just meant to take care. I moved forward down the steps, my body numb. If you'd have told me at the convention, that a few months down the line this would be my life I'd have ran screaming, but now… now I couldn't be happier. If this was what love felt like, I was addicted. Smiling happily to myself, I skipped down the steps into the foyer. Slipping my headphones in, I prepared to start off as I exited the building, but as I did I bumped into a familiar face, Will's PA Pam. She looked rather red- faced and flustered. Her hair was askew, and her make- up smudged, she looked quite different to the PA I'd met in London.

"Hi!" I called, pulling out my headphones to greet her properly.

"Oh, Alexis! How are you?" She smiled.

"Fine, thanks. Yourself?"

"I've been better." She admitted. "I'm just here to get Will's signature on a few documents. They're too heavy for me to carry, so I'm just going to see if he'll come down to help me bring them up."

"Well, I can give you a hand if you'd like?" I offered. It seemed pointless for Will to come down and back up when I was already here.

"Would you? Oh, that's so very, very kind of you." She had a strange gleam in her eye. I didn't quite understand why- I was only carrying some folders for her.

"It's not a problem. Where are these files?"

"They're just in the back of my van." She smiled.

"You must have a few if you've got a van for them!" I laughed. She laughed too, but the smile didn't quite meet her eyes.

"My car broke down the other day, so I'm just borrowing my son's vehicle." She said quickly, but I wasn't sure I'd believed her. I could see what Will meant when he said Pam was behaving oddly- she seemed very different to the Pam I'd met in London when I went to visit Will.

"So, how many files have you got?" I asked, as I followed her down into the underground parking area.

"A couple of boxes." She clicked her key fob, and the van ahead of us flashed its lights. She pulled the back door open. "They're just at the back there." She pointed into the darkness. "If you could just climb in and pass them out to me." I was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Pam are you-" but I didn't get to finish my sentence. I felt something smash into the back of my head, and then I saw nothing but black.

Xxx

Review? If we hit 525 I'll upload the next chapter. Otherwise, it'll be up on Friday.


	42. Chapter 42

42

When I came to, I could feel that the van was moving. My arms were tied together behind my back and I was gagged. Panicking, I squirmed against my bindings, but they held strong. I seemed to be tethered to the floorboards, because something was stopping me from shuffling forward. Anxious and scared I tried to use my soulfinder link to contact Will and tell him what had happened, but there seemed to be some sort of block.

"She's awake, Gregory. You obviously didn't hit her hard enough, you idiot. Give her some chloroform, that'll keep her quiet."

"Yes, Mistress."

I felt the van grind to a half. The back doors opened, and the light blinded me. Someone climbed in, their face obscured by a mask that covered all but their eyes, cloth in hand. My breaths came quicker, and I backed myself further into my corner as he advanced. He pressed the cloth against my face, pressing my head against the wall. My head was still hurting from where I'd been hit earlier, and my eyes watered as he shoved me unceremoniously into the wall again. He pressed the cloth into my face, the chemicals making my eyes water.

"Deep breaths, sweetheart." I held my breath for as long as I could, knowing chloroform's effect. I hadn't watched years of cop shows for nothing. My eyes watered and my cheeks went red, until my body betrayed me and I gasped for breath. He kept the cloth pressed against my face as I took a couple more breaths, my body beginning to slump against my will, my eyes rolling back into the back of my head.

Will! I tried one more time, as I watched the man climb out of the van, closing the doors behind him. My eyes closed. It was dark again.

When I next woke up, I was wearing what seemed like a hospital gown. It certainly wasn't my running gear, that was for sure. My hands were free and my gag had been removed. My feet were bare, but I was still wearing my own underwear and sports bra- that was reassuring at least. I ran my hand over my head, feeling the bump that was now there. It hurt when I touched it. Aside from a few minor cuts and scrapes, I couldn't see any other injuries when I checked myself over.

Satisfied I was okay physically, I began to pay more attention to my surroundings. I was sat on a single mattress that was pressed against the wall furthest away from the door. There was a toilet and a threadbare chair on the opposite wall. To say it was sparsely furnished was an understatement. The blue metal door was the only source of colour, and it was faded and scratched. Shuffling, so I was leaning against the wall I tried to contact Will again, but was met with the same mental block I'd encountered in the van. I tried Alice instead, but had no luck. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried harder, opening them only when someone's voice interrupted the silence.

"Stay on the bed. We're coming in." Gulping, I did as instructed. The door opened and two people walked in: Pam and a guy who looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place him.

"Pam?" I asked in horror, still failing to believe that she was the one who'd done this to me. She laughed.

"Sorry, dear, I'm not Pam." And she transformed before my very eyes. Her body grew, lengthening and slimming as she did. Her hair changed shade, her crooked nose shrunk back into her face and her eyes widened. Blinking in disbelief, I struggled to understand how Pam had morphed into the statuesque blonde woman who stood before me.

"I'm the collector." She leered. "Pam's buried in a field in Oklahoma." I choked on my breath.

Stay away from me. I commanded, putting as much strength as I could into the command.

"Oh, Alexis." She trilled. "That won't work on me! I took the power of the greatest savant shield that ever lived. Didn't you wonder why your messages to Will were failing?" My heart pounded against my chest.

"See, I collect powers. That's my gift, you see. I'm a collector." I could hardly breathe. She was a shield and she could transform at will. What the hell else could she do?

"Sure, I'm a soulseeker thanks to the Countessa- she was weak after the Benedicts were through with her, I can shield, I can transform, I can conjure water out of thin air." A ball of water hovered over her palm as she proved her point. It vanished when she clicked her fingers. "But I want more." Her eyes glittered like a serpent's.

"See, Gregory here can detect those with the greatest powers." She ran her fingernails up his arm and he blushed. I felt sick. "At the convention he was drawn to you like a moth to a flame." My eyes flitted across to him and I shuddered. His lank, greasy hair fell in his face, and his brown teeth grinned down at me.

"Every year, Greg goes to the convention, scouts out the talent, and then…" She paused for dramatic effect, her eyes narrowing "we go hunting." Greg grinned manically.

"He's no intention of causing trouble, so he gets in through security. Little Greggy only wants to take pictures, don't you Greg." He nodded.

"I like taking pictures when mistress tells me to." He nodded. The man was quite clearly deranged- I could see it in his eyes. I didn't know what she'd done to poor Greg, but there was nothing behind his eyes- he was nothing but a pawn to her. "Did you like my pictures, Alexis?"

"You?!" I accused. This was the culprit. He grinned, giving me a great view of his brown teeth. He was a ready- made advert for dental hygienists everywhere.

"Yes, him. But it's been hard, Alexis. For how can I collect powers when savants only meet annually? There's just not enough opportunity, and it takes forever to track people down, which is where you come in. I want the Net's records."

"I don't have their records."

"No, you don't." She agreed. "But your soulfinder does. See, I've been trying to gain access to the Net for years with no success, so imagine my shock when Will Benedict's soulfinder turns out to have one of the greatest powers Greg's ever seen. We've been planning ever since."

"I got to meet her friend, didn't I mistress?"

"Yes, you did, Greggy." She agreed. "You liked Annie didn't you, Greg?" My blood ran cold. "She told us a lot about you, Alexis. But we just had to alter her memory afterwards, didn't we?" Greg nodded. My mind was reeling. It made sense now- that's why Annie couldn't remember anything about her date, when I asked her about it.

"We thought that Will would bring you over sooner when we sent the photos. I must admit I got desperate- impersonating Pam to try and see if her computer had their details. I mean, you must understand, Alexis, we'd tried in the UK, but those pesky body guards Will had set up. Uriel could tell the photos were dangerous and dear Will took every precaution." She tssked in annoyance. "But now, you're here!" She beamed. "Those records are within my grasp."

"Now, don't worry, Alexis, you're going to be fine." Funnily enough, her promise did little to reassure me. "We both know you aren't really a big fan of the whole soulfinder thing. I mean, what with what happened to your sister and all. My brother really was very upset that his son got caught up in all that. Such a waste of talent." The seer was this woman's brother? From what Will had told me about how they'd rescued Phee, 'The Collector' seemed just as power- crazed as her brother.

"See, because I took the Countessa's power, I can get rid of your link to Will and you'll be free." Gregory coughed pointedly.

"You said she'd be with me." He growled.

"And she will be." She promised, stroking his cheek to appease him. "Once we've got the records I'll cut the connection, we just need her as a bargaining chip for now. Will won't give us them if he knows the bond's been broken. Then I'll cut the bond, alter her memories, and after a little tinkering she'll be utterly in love with you." Gregory dazed at me and I was repulsed. "Patience, Gregory." He nodded, reassured.

"What? No!" I cried, breaking myself from my trance. I got up from the mattress and threw myself at her, but I was immobilised in mid- air.

"Now, now, Alexis." She simpered, floating me back down to the bed. "Stay." My body was frozen- I had no choice but to obey. I didn't know what this power of hers was, but it was terrifying.

"Gregory, tie her up. We don't want her hurting herself while I'm gone." Gone? What did that mean? Where was she going? I watched in horror as she began to transform again, her body morphing until she'd transformed into me.

I was effectively standing in front of myself.

"Now, I'm just off to see Will. 'Pam' told him there was an emergency at the office, but he'll be on his way back now. I just need to persuade him." She giggled, walking towards me and placing her hand on my forehead. Whatever she'd done to me meant I couldn't fight her.

"Sorry, Alexis, I forgot to say: this is going to hurt rather a lot." There was a prickly sensation where she touched me. It grew, burning stronger and stronger until it felt like my skull was cracking beneath her fingers. I screamed in agony. It was like a white-hot poker wear searing brain. My eyes rolled back into my head, and the world turned black once more.

I didn't know how long it had been, but I woke to icy cold water being thrown over me. It jerked me out of my stupor. 'The collector' was standing over me, her nostrils flaring like an angry dragon.

"It didn't work." She seethed. "He threw off the command, and he knew it wasn't me. How did he do that? I had to teleport out of there." She grabbed me by my hair and pulled me to face her. I gritted my teeth, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she was hurting me.

"Was that a rhetorical question?" I asked. She slammed me to the floor, before pulling me up once more.

"I'll ask again: why didn't it work?" I didn't answer. Will was the only person who could throw off my commands. He'd shown that at the convention. He was my soulfinder, and he could tell that she was an imposter because he didn't feel the bond. She was stupid if she couldn't work that out, and I wasn't going to tell her.

She flew me across the room again. I smacked against the wall, my body crumpling on impact and falling to the floor. I could feel blood pouring from my nose and I wheezed.

"I'll be back in an hour and I expect an answer." She left, slamming the door behind her.

This continued ten times. I kept count by making a mark on the wall each time she came in when it passed three. I wouldn't give in I promised myself. Although I no longer had my power, the one weakness of her gift was that the power she'd forcibly taken from someone didn't work on that person. I was so grateful for her quirk- I knew that with my gift I'd have told her all I wanted to know and more. On the eleventh time she went too hard and I passed out before she'd finished.

When I next woke, the bleeding had stopped, but I was in a different room. There was nothing but a bucket in the corner, and I was shivering in my thin gown. My eye was swollen shut and my head was pounding. I could see her standing in the corner.

"Now, Alexis, I'm giving you one more chance to co-operate." I shook my head. Over my dead body would I co-operate with this witch.

"Fine. Have it your way. Did you know, I met a savant in Borneo. He taught me how to inflict pain without causing any physical damage. Would you like a demonstration?" I didn't answer.

"It's searing, the pain. It drives savants mad- they lose their minds. Let's see how you fare." Her last tactic was a walk in the park compared to this; they weren't comparable on the pain scale. Every last inch of my skin was burning. I screamed until my lungs were hoarse. It felt like an eternity.

"Half an hour. Impressive." She grinned. "I'll break you yet. Have a think, Alexis. I'll be back in an hour."

They kept it up for two days. I didn't give in. She started taunting me:

"Where's Will now?" She cackled. "He hasn't even noticed you're gone, Alexis. Why are you protecting him? I saw him out with some other girl."

I didn't believe her and she changed tact when she realised.

The only break I got from the onslaught was when they brought me food and water- two slices of stale bread and a cup of water for each meal. My stomach felt like it was eating itself, but that was the least of my worries.

The next time she came in, it lasted for two hours- a combination of her first and second methods, while Gregory filmed. She told me they were sending it to Will- proof that they had me.

"Alexis, Alexis" she murmured. I heard the camera whirring, zooming in on my face.

"Should Will give me those records?" I coughed up blood, retching. I couldn't breathe.

"No, don't do it, Will." I mumbled. I could barely speak. The pain started again. I couldn't keep track of the hours any more- I didn't know if it was day or night, they all blurred into one. They kept the lights on, and played music so loud I couldn't sleep. When I still refused to co-operate, they kept the lights off at all times, turning them on only when I ate and when the collector came and brought pain. I cowered in the corner, my hands thrown over my ears. I was so cold, so very cold. I could feel it in my bones. My teeth were chattering so hard I thought they were going to shatter.

"His family are trying so hard to help, but they won't find you." She'd got bored of mentally torturing me and had gone back to throwing me at walls. I was pretty sure my left arm was broken. It was hanging at an unnatural angle and it really hurt. I didn't know how much more I could take.

"Wake up, chicky!" She scratched my cheek with her nails and I flinched. "We've got a big day ahead." She grinned, stuffing something into my mouth, and securing it. "We're going to meet your soulfinder."

I screamed into the gag and shake my head. If we were going to see Will it meant he was going to give her the Net's records. I couldn't live with that on my conscience.

"There's nothing you can do, dear. Don't worry, I'll get the records, we'll get rid of that pesky soulfinder connection and I'll do some tinkering so you can happily live out the rest of your life with Gregory." I shook my head fiercely. She produced a gun from behind her back, and brandished it in front of me. "One false move and I'll lodge a bullet in his brain." She warned.

"Greg, bring the chloroform." The cloth was in my face and I prayed before the darkness consumed me that she was lying.

XXX

I was back in the van. Gregory was next to me. My feet were cuffed and my arms were cuffed behind my back. Greg pulled me to my feet, keeping a firm hold on my bicep.

"Follow me." Exhausted, I did as he instructed.

"I came alone, as you asked." I heard someone say. Greg led me out of the van. We were on what looked like an abandoned air field.

"Where is she?" We rounded the corner and I saw Will talking to the collector. I screamed as I saw what he'd handed her. His head whipped round as he saw me.

"Lex! God, what have you done to her, you sick b*stards?" He ran towards me, but Greg pressed his gun to my temple and he stopped. The collector produced her own gun, and aimed it at him.

"I need to check the data. I don't trust it's not encrypted. I'm not as stupid as my brother. We'll back in two days." I saw the agony on Will's face as Greg bundled me back into the van. I heard gun shots as we pulled off, and I panicked. The collector was still blocking my connection to Will, so I didn't know if he was okay.

"Silly boy." She tittered. "I distinctly remember telling him not to move." I thrashed against my bindings, and shouted into the gag. "Greg, hit her. We're out of chloroform." He obliged.

When I came round I could hear the two of them talking. If I still had my gift I'd be able to overpower her- I just knew it in my bones. She was tapping away at a computer, her beady eyes alight with delight. We were somewhere new again this time. It was a wooden hall- large, and with nothing but the chair she was sat on. I was leant against the wall furthest from the door. Greg was stood beside her, peering over her shoulder.

"She's awake." Greg announced. She looked up, before glancing back down at her laptop, totally engrossed.

"Can you cut the connection now?"

"Give me a minute." She snapped, still tapping away furiously.

"But you promised!" She closed her laptop with an audible snap.

"Fine. But only because the files don't seem to be encrypted. Time is precious, Gregory." She towered over me, and I squirmed as far as I could into the wall as she approached.

"Say goodbye to your old life, Alexis. When you next wake up, you'll think I'm your mother and Gregory here is your husband. I think you'll be called Anna." She laughed as I cried out, wide eyed, and tried to move away from her.

She immobilised me, and I felt her cut the connection. The memory tampering came next. I refused to let her take them too. I kept repeating the same mantra in my head.

'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will Benedict. My parents are Brian and Liz, I have a brother called Jack and a sister called Alice.'

'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will Benedict. My parents are Brian and Liz, I have a brother and a sister.'

'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will. I have a brother and a sister.'

'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will.'

'My name is Alexis Anderson.'

'My name is…' I paused. What was my name?

XXX

Thanks to everyone that reviewed. The next chapter will be up next week, or I'll put it up as soon as we hit 440 reviews :)


	43. Chapter 43

43:

Suddenly, there were gunshots. The air around me crackled with their energy. The woman stood over me screamed, and I watched in horror as her skull exploded right in front of me, her blood splattering my gown. The man on the other side of the hall took a bullet to the leg, and I watched him crumple to the floor. I shut my eyes and pressed myself against the wall. The sound of running footsteps echoed around the room.

"Clear." A voice yelled. I opened one eye very slowly. A couple of men had the man they'd shot in the leg hand cuffed, while another inspected the woman lying dead next to me. Her body was still twitching, her mouth gaped open and her eyes were wide.

One of the men came up to me. He spoke into a walkie talkie. "She's safe. We've got her. You can come in- the area's been secured."

Safe from what? I wondered. They were the ones that had come in, all guns blazing. He helped me to my feet, moving my limbs for me since the shock seemed to have partly paralysed me.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, we've got you. You're safe now. I'm Calum. What's your name?"

"I'm… I'm…" I didn't know. "I- I don't know." I stammered. A tall, burly man ran into the building.

"Alexis? Alexis?" He shouted. I looked round, confused. We were the only people in here- he must have the wrong building. He caught sight of me and Calum and headed straight for us, an expression of pure relief on his face.

"Oh, baby." Calum passed me to him, and he pulled me into his arms, kissing every inch of skin that he could reach. "I was so worried." He sobbed, before straightening to look at me. "Are you hurt?"

"Who are you?" I asked. He recoiled as if he'd been slapped. "You don't mean that." I stepped back towards Calum.

"Alexis!" A middle- aged couple and a girl that looked just like me came into view. "Oh, sweetheart." The woman sobbed, pulling me to her. I stiffened. "What's wrong?" She asked, pained.

"She doesn't remember." The first man said woodenly.

"Lexie!" The younger girl cried. A tall, black man wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"It might just be shock, Alice." She shook her head defiantly, tears streaming down her face. The older man looked just as distraught, but not as much as the first man that had come in.

"Look, I think you've all just got the wrong person." I explained carefully. "I'm not Alexis, I'm… Well, I don't know who I am, but…" I trailed off, looking at the horror on their faces. Unknowingly, it seemed that I'd managed to upset them further.

"Let's get her to the hospital." Calum suggested. "Her wrist looks like it's broken." I looked down. He was right. I hadn't really noticed it before in all the chaos. I didn't know how I'd done that.

They led me out to an ambulance. A man called Xav saw me first. He said he was training to be a doctor. He made my head feel a lot better, but he wouldn't let me go to sleep. Xav and the burly man (I learnt his name was Will) came with me and the older couple said they would meet us at the hospital. I kept telling them that they'd got the wrong person, but when I saw how upset they looked every time I said it, I decided to keep quiet. They'd realise eventually on their own.

Will kept looking at me strangely- it was a mix of pain, hope and longing. In hospital they took me for some scans. The older couple studied them intently. They couldn't be doctors because they weren't wearing uniforms. Doctors always wore uniforms when they were working. But, they did know a lot about interpreting scans.

Will wouldn't leave the chair next to my bed, the older couple and the younger girl came in frequently too. They told me I had amnesia. I didn't understand what amnesia was.

The next day, the older couple brought in some photos. They told me they were my parents. There was a photo of a girl, she looked just like me, just younger. I was playing with Alice, a boy (he was apparently my brother). There was me in a graduation gown, me playing netball. They'd brought in so many photos I didn't get chance to look at them all. It didn't matter, I still didn't believe them. I'd have remembered if I was their daughter- I'd have remembered something about them, I was sure. I tried to tell them this kindly, but I don't think they took it too well.

When I ate my lunch, I talked to Will. I asked him if he had a girlfriend. He got choked up when I asked, and I apologised, offering him some of my cookie instead. Cookies always made people feel better.

I slept a lot for the first few days. My body hurt and was achy. They hooked me up to an IV drip because I was dehydrated and kept bringing me food. There were lots of flowers and balloons everywhere- they were nice. They made the room a lot more colourful, and less white.

I had a really nice older nurse called Debbie. She brought me my favourite foods. I had lots of visitors. My wrist was in a cast. The cast was itchy. Debbie suggested that everyone should sign it. I liked that idea. I asked all my visitors to sign it for me and they did.

'Mum, Dad, Elinor, Sam, Alice, Soren, Crystal, Xav, Vic, Rory, Tess, Uri, Karla, Saul, Phee, Crystal, Sky, Zed…' The list went on. Will had signed first and had made his name bigger than everybody else's. He'd even put a smiley face next to his name. He wasn't all that smiley when he was with me. I wished he would smile- he'd look very handsome if he smiled more.

All my visitors kept calling me Alexis. They said that was my name. I stopped fighting them after a while- fighting seemed to do more harm than good. The older couple, especially, got very upset when I kept saying I wasn't called Alexis. I didn't mean to upset them, but they were confused. A small blonde girl said my colours weren't right. I didn't understand what she meant.

On Tuesday they took out my IV drip because my wee had turned back to yellow, rather than the browny orange it was when I'd been brought in.

Will brought me a toy on Wednesday. It was a fish. He said it was called 'Flounder', like in 'The Little Mermaid'. I loved Flounder. Flounder was my bestest friend. I cuddled him when I went to sleep, and I even held him in the day because he was really soft. I thanked Will for him every day. He told me Flounder used to belong to a very special girl, and that she'd be glad I liked Flounder. I told him to thank her for me. He promised he would, a sad smile on his face as he said it.

On Friday, Debbie said I had a special treat. Every second Friday of the month, the guide dog association brought puppies in to cheer up the patients. I was really excited about it.

"Do you like dogs?" Debbie asked as she helped me re-dress. Will had brought me some nice pyjamas and they were much more comfortable than the gowns the hospital provided.

"I think so." I grinned. She helped me back into bed. Will had left while I was changing. The door opened and an elderly lady walked in.

"Come on in, doggy." She called. A small ball of fur shot into the room and jumped straight up onto my bed. He ran towards me enthusiastically and started licking my face. I giggled, and cuddled him in my arms. He was lovely. I buried my nose in his fur and stroked him.

"What's his name?" I asked the lady that brought him in.

"Whatever you want him to be called." She smiled. "He's only just left his mother. We haven't decided on a name yet. What would you call him? I've been asking everyone today what they think his name should be."

I pondered it for a while, looking down at his cute little face and waggly tail.

"Monty." I decided. He yipped happily at that.

"I think he likes it." Deb laughed. I grinned.

"Hello, little Monty." I cooed. "You like it, don't you? Yes, you do, Monty." My tongue got stuck in my throat as a memory overcame me.

I was playing with a dog just like this- he was called Monty too. I was chasing him around a garden. Blinking, I looked up at Deb. "I have a dog called Monty."

**Review? The next chapter will be up once we hit 555 reviews, or next week. Thanks for all your support.**


	44. Chapter 44

44:

It was as if releasing that one memory broke the dam- I was assaulted with memories. My parents, my brother, Alice, 'Van, Rach.

The door to my room opened. "Will!" I cried. He had a coffee in his hand, and looked rather tired and stressed; there were big black bags under his eyes, and his clothes were rumpled. He ran towards me and I reached out for him. My hands were shaking as I touched him, reassuring myself that he was real- this was real; not a figment of my imagination.

"Does she have them? Does she have the records?" I demanded, anxious to know if people were in danger.

"No." He assured me. "And she's dead." I tried to breathe steadily, but they were still coming out in pants.

"Will you?" I pulled back the covers and indicated for him to get in.

"Alexis, there's not room, I-"

"Please!" I begged, tears rolling down my eyes. "I was so cold, and I heard gunshots and I thought you were dead, and I don't like the noise. She played loud noise. And then turned off all the lights." I sobbed, remembering it all so vividly now; the cold, the noise, the pain. I just wanted his warmth and his arms around me. He always made me feel safe. He shook off his shoes, and clambered in next to me. I pressed myself as close to him as I could get, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly, nestling his head on top of mine.

"It's okay. You're safe now- I'll look after you." He promised, squeezing me tightly.

"I tried to be brave. She was evil, Will, pure evil." He tightened his hold on me. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to forget about her.

"You were, you brave, brave girl."

"Can we get some more blankets?" I asked, my mouth still buried in his shirt. Even though this room was warm it wasn't quite warm enough.

"Are you cold?" He asked. I nodded. I felt something thick being draped over us, and Will tucked it around me securely. I snuggled into him, my eyelids feeling heavy.

"Do you remember?" He asked tentatively, after a minute's pause. His hand was ghosting over my spine, rubbing my back gently.

"Everything." I confirmed. His body sagged in relief, and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I fought to keep my eyes open, to continue the conversation, but Will could sense I was losing the battle. He shuffled so that he too was lying vertically, our faces next to each other.

"Sleep, sweetheart." He commanded. We kissed gently, before he wrapped me in his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too." I murmured, before I fell into a deep sleep.

XXX

Now that I'd remembered who I was, Will was able to explain how they'd rescued me. Two days after I was taken, Alice found her soulfinder, Soren. Karla had seen that he was integral to rescuing me, so Alice had been trekking around Quebec in a panic until she found him. Soren's gift was that he could block someone else from using their gifts, rendering them completely human, essentially.

Sam and Elinor had flown in and Elinor managed to track where I was, but it took time as they had to wait until the Collector was asleep and her shields were down. Between Soren, Elinor and all of the other Benedicts, Will managed to plan. He gave the real documents to the Collector, as he wanted to check that she had actually got me before they carried out their rescue mission. From there, they followed us with Elinor's help, and stormed the building. The Collector had been fatally shot, and Gregory was in custody. He'd been so brainwashed by her that they weren't sure he was even fit to stand trial.

As soon as I was calm enough, Crystal restored mine and Will's connection, and Xav mended my arm. Apparently, our bond had only been partly severed anyway- the Collector hadn't managed to quite cut all my ties to Will.

"Your bond was too strong to be fully broken." Crystal explained once she was finished. Will grinned down at me from where I was perched in his lap. "I told you before that I'd never seen a bond as strong as yours, and I was right."

On Vic's insistence, for the record, I had to recount exactly what had happened when I was kept prisoner. Will insisted on being in the room for that, even though I kept telling him that he'd find it too upsetting. His hand fisted in anger every time I explained how the Collector had hurt me, but he managed to keep it together.

"You were so brave." He whispered, stroking my cheek. I shrugged. "I'm sorry we didn't get to you sooner."

"You were as quick as you could have been, and you got to me in time, Will." He nodded, but I could tell he still thought his efforts inadequate.

My account corroborated with Gregory's, who had been deemed sane enough to stand trial. I hoped he went to prison for a very long time.

I was released a few days later once most of my injuries had healed. Mum and Dad were staying at Will's so between them and him, I was well taken care of. My parents ended up staying for another week before they had to go home for work and were most reluctant not to do so, despite my assurances that I'd be fine with Will looking after me. I'd managed to see everyone who had helped with my rescue, and I couldn't be any more grateful to each and every one of them, especially Elinor and Sam, who'd flown all the way from Edinburgh to see help out. I even got to meet Alice's soulfinder, Soren (the tall, black guy I saw in the warehouse.) He was French Canadian, but fully bilingual and the two of them seemed to suit each other from what I'd seen so far; a gentle giant.

My time in the States, it seemed, was finally returning to what it should have been: normal. Will had trouble letting me out of his sight, and I struggled to come to terms with the fact that I had lost my power. Although I never really used it anyway, it still felt as if I'd lost a limb, and I felt inferior without it. Soulfinders' gifts were supposed to compliment the other's, and now we didn't have that. Will dismissed my worries as being 'simply ridiculous', and decided to help me to improve my telekinesis instead. He said he'd love me whatever, and I was starting to believe him. We'd been using the L word a lot lately. I liked it.

When Will headed back to work, I was left in the care of his family. We went for spa days, and I helped both with the white water rafting, and in the library with Phee. I loved it. I didn't want to go back to the UK.

One weekend in August, Will took me skiing. The very top of one of the peaks had snow on it all year round. I'd skied ever since I was a child, and although I wasn't as good as Will, who'd grown up in the mountains, I wasn't bad. We got dropped off at the top by a helicopter, since the cable cars didn't go up that high, and it was a private peak. We were going to freestyle our way off the top, off-piste until the snow ran out. There, we had to walk down a little way to where Zed was going to be waiting in an off-roading 4x4 to collect us.

"You ready, baby?" Will asked as we stood together at the top. I grinned.

"I'll race you!"

"You're on; catch me if you can!" He yelled, launching himself off the top.

"Cheater!" I laughed, throwing myself of the ledge and following him down.

The views from here were incredible- I'd never been so high before. Will had a picnic in his backpack, and we stopped for lunch mid-way down.

"So I've been thinking…" I'd given what I was about to say a lot of thought ever since I'd woken up in hospital, but after recent events, had decided that it was most definitely the right decision.

"I want to move to Colorado." There. I'd said it. I watched his reaction with bated breath.

"Permanently?" He asked, his mouth wide, and face filled with awe.

"Permanently." I confirmed.

"I f*cking love you." He growled, before pulling me to him and kissing me firmly.

It hadn't exactly been a hard decision to make; one of us was going to have to move eventually. I loved Colorado, I loved Will's family, and Will couldn't have run his company from Derby- we'd have had to have moved to London, and I knew neither of us would have wanted that. I'd told Mum and Dad over skype whilst Will was at work, and although they were sad, they understood and approved. This was the right move for me. I'd even, presumptuously, handed in my notice to Mrs Lee without telling Will, something I had taken great satisfaction in. I'd never have to see the old bag again, and I couldn't wait.

We took our time skiing down to the bottom. A 4x4 was waiting for us, the keys in the ignition, but there was no sign of Zed.

"Where is he?" I asked Will, concerned.

"I asked him to leave. I've got something to show you."

We loaded our ski gear into the boot, and changed into something more appropriated. Will navigated the rock terrain expertly and we were back on a tarmac road within no time. He kept my hand laced in his, as he pulled off the main road and onto a narrow track.

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Definitely." He grinned. The car pulled to a stop at the end of the drive, where a newly- built house stood.

"What do you think?"

"It's beautiful." I stared up at it. It was enormous- a mix of brick and timber, surrounded by a plush green lawn and enclosed by giant oak trees.

"You want to look round?" Will produced a key from his pocket.

"How did you-?" He made a show of pretending to zip his lips closed, and indicated for me to follow him through.

"Okay, fine." I laughed, letting him pull me forward.

The house was just as beautiful inside, if a little empty. Wooden flooring ran all the way through, and it was spacious and roomy. In the kitchen, the floor was made of dark slate, and the cabinets were made of oak. There was a huge oven and many other top quality appliances. Downstairs, there was two toilets, a bathroom, a dining room, a study, a large lounge, the kitchen with a laundry room attached, and a huge conservatory which looked out onto the garden.

Upstairs, there was five bedrooms, and two bathrooms. They were all bare and unlived in. The whole house seemed unlived in- the windows still had their protective wrapping on them. The master bedroom was the most spectacular- it had an ensuite, a walk in wardrobe, and a balcony looking out over the mountains. I stood, staring out at them from Will's arms, totally enraptured by it all.

"What do you think?" Will asked, his head resting on mine as we gazed at the view together.

"It's amazing. Whoever lives here is very fortunate." A house like this was what everyone dreamed of, but few could actually have. Will hummed against my neck.

"So, would you move in here with me?"

"Will, this would be far too expensive." I laughed. I turned in his arms to look at him, and saw that he was being serious.

"This is yours?"

"Ours." He corrected.

"You own this?" My voice had gone up a notch. I dreaded to think how much money he must have spent to get a house like this. He nodded.

"I've been looking since you said you were coming to stay. I just thought I'd have to work a bit harder, and wait a little longer, to try and persuade you to stay permanently." I stared, slack- jawed at him.

"It's our forever house. It's where our kids will grow up, and where we'll struggle up the stairs when we're eighty."

"You bought this house before I even came over?" He nodded, grinning.

"But what if I'd said I wanted to live in Derby?"

"It would have been a good investment." He was such a smart arse.

"But, isn't it too far from Denver?"

"I can work from home. Wrickenridge is only ten minutes down the road, and Denver an hour from there. I prefer the mountains. Even before I met you I was thinking I'd like to come back here some day."

"Just don't tell me how much you spent on it." He laughed at me. "Want to christen the bedroom"

"You bet!" He growled.

We left our 'forever house' as Will had called it as the sun was beginning to set. Everything was falling into place.

xxx

Thank you for all the support and reviews- it's very much appreciated. The next chapter will be up once we hit 565, or next week. This chapter may feel rushed, but as I explained earlier, I just want to finish this story- I can always embellish later. Only a few more chapters left!


	45. Chapter 45

45:

Life didn't go quite as smoothly as I would have liked after I left hospital. For one, I was having counselling at Will's insistence after the ordeal (the irony of having counselling when I had a counselling degree was not lost on me), but begrudgingly I did admit that it helped. My counsellor was a non- savant called Sinead. She'd moved to the States from Ireland when she was in her early twenties, and had stayed after falling in love with an American. Sinead was a non- savant, but at fifty, she had a wealth of experience and was really helping me to move on, even though she didn't know about the Collector.

When my memories first came back I found it difficult to sleep due to vivid night terrors- I kept dreaming that I was back there, reliving it all over again. I think they upset Will more than they upset me as it took me so long to wake up from them. It was Sinead that suggested I always had to have a lamp on next to my bed, and hundreds of blankets. I'd rather be sweating than feel a slight chill. If it bothered Will, he didn't say anything.

The only other issue we had as a couple was over money. With us, it always came back to money. Will wanted to buy me a car, I said no, and he sulked. Will had paid for the house outright, yet he'd put my name jointly on the paperwork, even though I hadn't contributed a cent. I was not happy, and he wouldn't accept any of the money I tried to give him towards rent and living costs until I got so upset over it that I threatened to move back to Derby (even though I'd never go through with it). It was the first really bad argument we'd had, but we managed to compromise. At my insistence, we set up a joint account for household bills and utilities, which we both contributed to, and Will changed the paperwork so he had sole ownership of the house.

I still hadn't yet found a job in the states; I was too shook up from the Collector that it took me a while to get back to my old self. I couldn't go in underground parking areas anymore, and I struggled to trust people, but thanks to Will, Sinead, and the rest of the Benedicts I was showing signs of improvement.

To pass the time, I worked for the Benedicts' white water rafting and cable care businesses for a few days a week, and volunteered at the library whilst I found my feet. It wasn't much, but it meant I didn't deplete my savings. Privately, I resolved to be employed by Christmas- I wanted to be back to my old self by then.

When I wasn't working, I was preparing to move to our new home. We'd spent many evenings at the house working out what furniture we wanted, and visiting department stores to see if they had anything we liked. Will was far more patient than me (which explained why everywhere he lived looked so much nicer, and more well put together than my old flat). Left to my own devices, I would have picked everything from IKEA and been done with it. Whilst he chatted to staff, and analysed every corner and crevice of a cabinet, and deliberated over exactly which type of wine glass we should have, I made my way to the comfiest sofa or bed and relaxed.

Will had left me in charge of packing while he was at work, and on weekends we'd hire a van to move the stuff in the flat that we were keeping to Wrickenridge in batches, since there wasn't so much stuff that we'd require professional movers. I'd carry all the stuff down on trolleys, but Will had to load it into the van, since I didn't like them or enclosed, dark spaces any more.

Slowly, the Denver flat began to empty. Come September, we'd loaded up the van for the last time. There were a few essential items left in the flat, like bowls and plates, in case someone came to use it, but everything else had found a home in our new house.

By the time we moved in, we'd managed to find furniture for and decorate the master bedroom, the lounge, the conservatory and fully stock the kitchen, which I was excited to get creative in. The kitchen was the only room in the house that I'd taken an active interest in furnishing- Will had convinced me to splurge, and as a result I was now in possession of more baking trays that I could possibly use, and a large collection of colourful spatulas.

We had a 'house warming' party that weekend. Will invited all his family and friends to come and celebrate this big step in our lives. It was lovely to see everyone (even though Karla barely hid her disappointment that we were living together when we weren't married), since after my kidnapping I'd only seen a few of them at a time. Wine flowed, lots of food was eaten, and we had a few tipsy partygoers spending the night on our sofas that evening.

At the start of September, all of the Benedicts' girls gathered to go wedding dress shopping with Tess and her family. She was getting married in November at a really posh chateau in the mountains, and needed to find a dress. From what I gathered, it was to be a lavish affair, with the guest list in triple figures so far!

We'd visited a snobby boutique, and left pretty quickly, since it was obvious we weren't welcome, and had now ended up in a lovely, quaint family-owned shop. I was getting rather giggly after one glass of champagne, much to Phee and Crystal's amusement.

While Tess was chatting to the owner of the store about what sort of dress she wanted, I browsed the racks for any pretty dresses I thought she should try on with Crystal. Sometimes, a bride actually wanted the complete opposite of what she thought she wanted, so it was good to get other people's opinions of what dress was nice. I'd just pulled a sparkly strapless number off the rack, when Crystal turned to me.

"Guess what?" She whispered, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"What?" I asked, confused by her overwhelming excitement. She produced her left hand and I saw the diamond nestled on her ring finger. I squealed in delight.

"When? How?"

"Last night. He took me to the lake and got down on one knee."

"That's so romantic!" I sighed, clapping my hands together.

"I know! I couldn't believe it- who knew Xav had it in him?" I laughed.

"Don't be so hard on your fiancé!" I teased.

"I know, I shouldn't be, really. We're keeping it on the down low for now, anyway today's Tess's day, so we're going to tell everyone tomorrow at lunch." I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly- I was thrilled for them both.

When the announcement came on Sunday I was the only one who wasn't surprised.

That weekend, I was due to fly home. Although, I guess I couldn't really call it home now. I was going to pack up all my belongings and have them shipped over to Colorado. 'Van had promised she'd come round and keep me company whilst I was doing so, since she was now officially on maternity leave and was bored to tears at home. Rach, Jack and my parents had all volunteered to help with the physical packing since 'Van couldn't, so I was confident I'd manage to get it all done in the two weeks I was staying in the U.K for.

It was hard leaving Will at the airport, but I'd be back in a couple of weeks, even if the idea of flying alone made me jumpy. He walked me through as far as he could, before giving me a blistering kiss, and sending me on my way.

When I arrived back in the UK, there was a small welcoming party waiting at the airport as made my way to arrivals, which meant I promptly burst into floods of tears, much to my embarrassment.

"We've missed you." Dad murmured as he and mum hugged me tightly between them.

Although I'd skyped 'Van and seen her bump over the screen, it was strange to see it in person. Skype had not done the bump justice- it was huge, and 'Van was only tiny! I hugged her carefully under Jack's watchful eye, worried that I'd break her.

"You had us all so worried." Jack said as he wrapped me in a warm hug.

He and 'Van hadn't flown out while I was captured because 'Van was suffering from severe nausea with her pregnancy, and had to have constant supervision on the instructions of her midwife, so Jack didn't want to leave her.

We headed back to Mum and Dad's for tea, since it was late when I landed. Jack had explained to Monty what had happened to me when I was away, so he was most anxious to see me on my return. He was also very smug to know that it was he who'd been the one to trigger my memories. In fact, after I'd hugged him, I could see how he was now strutting cockily around the house, and insisted on sleeping in my bed with me. I was glad for his company- although my night terrors were becoming less frequent, I slept better when someone was in the room with me.

My two weeks in England were fun, but tinged with sadness. For the first three days (after I'd recovered from the jet lag) I packed up my flat. Alice had told me she was going to keep it for whenever one of us came to visit Derby, so like with the flat in Denver, I only had to take with me the things I needed in the states. I left behind all my crockery, most of my towels, and many other bits and bobs. Instead, my wardrobe was emptied, my car was sold (since in America the driver's seat would be on the wrong side, so there was no point in shipping it), and all my books, school work and electronics were safely stowed away until only the bare essentials remained. It was weird seeing all my belongings being shipped off, and it made the fact that I was now going to be living permanently in Colorado seem all the more real; I was really leaving the U.K behind.

With everything gone, the flat felt empty- a shell of its former self. Now that the packing was done, I spent the rest of my time in England enjoying it before I left; I went bridal shopping with Rach, and we both got our dresses for the big day in January. She'd gone for a green colour scheme, and so my dress was a beautiful emerald shade. Rach's gown was a gorgeous, slinky, off the shoulder number that showed off her figure, but was refined and classy.

I went to netball training for the last time, and met up with all the school staff I liked: both groups gave me gifts to take to Colorado with me, and wished me all the best. I was a sobbing mess by the end of both meetings.

I even managed to take the train to Edinburgh to visit Elinor and Sam who were newly engaged. They seemed more in love than ever, and were planning some quiet nuptials sometime in the near future, which they promised both Will and I would be getting invitations for.

The day before I left, I took Monty to quarantine. He'd been given the choice of staying in the UK and living with Mum and Dad or coming with me. Even though he had a better bed at my parents' house he'd asked to come with me (on the promise that his favourite bed came too). I ordered one to arrive at the house in Colorado the same day. We enjoyed some long walks in the Peaks together before I dropped him off, since I wouldn't be seeing him for another six weeks.

The night before I left, I cleaned the flat thoroughly and mum came to collect me, since I'd be spending my last night in England at their house, where Dad pulled me aside.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I nodded, and smiled, but a tear made its way down his cheek before he could brush it away. "Then I won't stop you. Any trouble and I'll be right there, even if you are on the other side of the world."

We spent the rest of the night laughing, and playing board games until they dropped me off with tears in their eyes the following morning.

When I got back, Uri and Tess's wedding was upon us. They'd chosen the day well, as it was glorious, and Tess looked simply radiant. Will was one of the groomsmen and he looked very handsome; the most handsome in my very biased opinion.

Everyone got very merry at the reception. Delilah was being looked after by a baby sitter, so Diamond and Trace were taking full advantage of the free bar.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do job-wise?" Phee asked me. She'd been telling me about how she was working in the university's library in Minnesota while Yves was studying there, but she still didn't know what to do when they moved back home.

"I don't think I'd go back into teaching right now." I admitted. For some reason, it just didn't appeal to me as much anymore. I watched Will dance with his new sister in law- he was flinging her round the dance floor to her delight.

"I'm looking at counselling. I want to help people who have been in situations like me." I swallowed hard. I hadn't even said that out loud before. Sinead had been a great inspiration to me over the past few weeks.

"I've got a degree in counselling- I might as well use it." Phee nodded.

"You could run some sort of retreat." She said, thoughtfully.

Will ran over then, and pulled me out of my chair to dance with him, so the conversation ended abruptly, but I didn't forget what she said.

I began looking for counselling jobs in Denver the next day. Since my degree was accredited in the states, theoretically I could be employed straight away. However, there didn't seem to be anything in the vicinity, much to my disappointment. Will told me I shouldn't be too disheartened.

"You can always work for me." He offered. He'd originally said I didn't have to work at all, but it was important to me to have a job and my own financial freedom; I'd be climbing the walls all day if I was left with nothing to do but clean.

Monty's arrival the next day had definitely lifted my spirits, and we spent a few days exploring the mountains together. He was a hit with all the American dogs, and now walked with a defined strut; he was such a cocky little thing. I took him to the hospital to meet Deb. I'd gotten her a massive bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates to say 'thanks' for all she did for me when I was in her care.

It was Crystal's hen weekend on Friday, and us girls were all heading to Denver to hit the clubs. Alice had flown in from Montreal to join the celebrations, since her and Crystal had become firm friends.

Soren was at university in Montreal, studying dentistry, but spent the rest of his time in Quebec, with his family. He and Alice split their time between the two places. Since Soren was at Uni, he couldn't come to Colorado as he was in lectures. Alice looked happier than I'd ever seen her. She was working in a gallery near Soren and they'd just agreed to display some of her work. I was delighted for her- Alice seemed to finally be getting her happy ending.

At the hen night, all the soulfinders came out, and we partied hard. Well, it definitely did not escape our notice that neither Rory or Tess were drinking, but they still seemed to be enjoying themselves. The older soulfinders left at about 12am, having had enough and getting a taxi back to Wrickenridge together, but the rest of us were having a whale of a time. Yves had scored Phee, Sky and Alice fake IDs since they weren't yet 21, so it was their first proper night out on the town. We staggered out of the last club at about 3.30am.

"I want a tattoo." Crystal declared as we linked arm-in-arm, stumbling over the cobbles in our heels.

"Are you sure?" I asked her, taking in her very inebriated state, not that I was especially sober either. She nodded.

"I know a place that will still be open."

"Okay." I agreed, I gave the keys to the condo to Phee, Alice and Sky, made them promise to order pizza and wait for us to get back before they fell asleep. I didn't remember anything else from the night, apart from clambering into bed with Crystal (who had definitely made the most of her last night out as a single woman), surrounded by sleeping girls and half- eaten pizzas.

When I woke up, it was 8. My hip was aching. I looked down to see the tell-tale cling film taped into place, and I groaned. I'd never been tatted before, and I'd never intended to be. God only knows what I'd gone and got. I pulled my trackies low on my hip, and walked over to the mirror to see what it was.

"Oh dear god." Well, it could have been worse, but it wasn't something I'd have got ordinarily, that was for sure! I'd only meant to go with Crystal for moral support, not to get one as well!

Stomach growling, I headed to the kitchen and saw Phee and Alice eating the left over pizza from the night before.

"Morning." I murmured, rubbing my eyes.

"Morning." They echoed quietly, wary of waking Sky, who was passed out on the sofa. They passed me a slice of pizza and I accepted it gratefully. We chatted quietly about the night, before the subject shifted to my job hunt.

"Why don't you start your own counselling service?" Alice suggested, as she tore into a hunk of pepperoni.

"Yeah, you could offer counselling for savants"

"That might be a bit niche, Phee." She nodded in agreement.

"Although I do like the idea of helping savants." I admitted.

"Like a sort of retreat?" Alice asked.

"Exactly." I agreed.

"You could have a library, a pool- think top notch five star hotel in Colorado, but it's not a hotel- it's a retreat, where you could offer loads of different services." Phee continued, her eyes glazed over as she pictured it.

"It would be amazing." I agreed. "But it's never going to happen."

"Not with that attitude it won't, Alexis." Alice snapped. "I'd invest."

"Yves probably would too." Phee said thoughtfully. "Especially if I could work there too." She looked at me out of the corner of her eye.

"Of course you could, Phee; we'd be business partners!"

And so, over cold pizza, the 'Alenix' spa retreat was born.

By the time Yves and Will had arrived to collect us (we were still way over the limit to drive) and take us back to Wrickenridge, Phee, Alice and I had a business plan (albeit on scrap pieces of paper, and the lid of a pizza box). Crystal had wandered in half way through and had wanted in on the action. She said she'd offer soulseeking appointments for savants, and could run craft lessons, but didn't want to be a business partner, she was happy just helping out.

Phee and I had decided we'd be equal partners; we'd run the business together, but would offer classes too. Phee wanted to run creative writing workshops and a reading group, whilst I wanted to offer childcare and counselling. Alice had volunteered as our first financial backer. We now just needed to persuade either Will and Yves, or a bank to contribute the rest of the loan.

"Tourists will love this!" Sky grinned, as we told her what we'd got planned. "My parents would probably take painting classes if that was something you'd be interested in?" She offered.

Even Yves and Will, although sceptical at first, seemed to think it had potential.

"Refine it." Yves suggested. "Then we'll look at the money side", but the gleam in his eye seemed to suggest he'd loan us the money we'd need. I was pretty sure he'd do anything to make Phee happy- she had him wrapped around her little finger.

"Lex, haven't you got something to show Will?" Crystal asked, with a grin. I blushed. The other soulfinders had found my inking hilarious. Crystal had got a small feather behind her ear. She said she'd wanted it for ages, but had never had the courage to go. My tattoo, on the other hand, was definitely spontaneous.

"He's going to see it eventually." Alice pointed out. "And I want to see his reaction." I sighed, seeing Will's confused look. I had no choice but to show him in front of them all now. I had wanted to wait a little bit, and show in private.

Carefully, I rolled down my trackies, to reveal it to him. I'd taken off the original cling-film, and had rubbed unscented lotion in it, as the aftercare instructions online had suggested, before re-covering it with a new piece.

"Is that real?" Yves asked. I nodded. Will was still in a state of shock.

"Baby." He groaned. "That's really f*cking hot." He crouched down to get a closer look at it, looking almost reverent. There, nestled on my hip in small, cursive script was an unmistakeable 'W.B'. He couldn't take his eyes off it. And, when it had healed, he couldn't keep his tongue or his lips off it either. For the rest of Saturday, and most of Sunday he tried his very best not to let me leave our bed.

Over the weekend, whenever I could pry Will off me, Phee and I, with Will's help, developed our business plan. Once they were satisfied it could become a viable business, they and Alice agreed to loan us the money. Originally, Yves had wanted to give us the money outright, but Phee and I insisted it was a loan, and that we had a lawyer draw up the papers. This was a business, not a charity, and Phee and I were going to pay back every cent we borrowed. Now we knew we had financial backing, we began to search for premises.

**Only two more chapters to go now, guys! Please leave a review! The next chapter will be up next week, or when we reach 575 reviews :)**


	46. Chapter 46

46

We spent countless hours researching online, and days driving around to view places, but nothing seemed quite right. It was after the family dinner at the Benedict family home, where both Tess and Rory had announced they were pregnant (no surprise there) that we rang Alice to see if she had any ideas. She already had a few properties herself that she rented out, so we were keen to ask her opinion.

"What about that house Will told us about when we first drove up to see his family?" She suggested. We went to view it that evening, and put an offer on it the next day. It was a bargain considering its state and the land that went with it. Apparently, the distant relative that owned it had had it on the market for 10 years, and thought he'd never sell it due to its size and rural location- he was practically giving it away. It was perfect- a clean slate, tucked away from prying eyes that we could mould, and make our own.

With the ink barely dry on the documents, we got to work. There were structural repairs to be done, wiring, lighting, heating, water, the list was never ending- and that was before we even thought about attacking it with a paint brush! It was going to take a lot of work, but we both wanted this.

Phee and I spent all out time there. Yves was at University in Minnesota, so he wasn't impressed that Phee had decided to stay in Wrickenridge, but understood. He came back nearly every weekend to help out with our project. He had originally tried to persuade us to let him pay contractors to do the build, but we'd refused- this was our business. Monty loved the new project- he spent every day in the grounds, chasing butterflies and squirrels. We tried to do as much of the work as we could ourselves, and went to classes at the local college to learn some of the tricks of the trade. We were both working from 8-8, and collapsing whenever we got home. As Yves was away, Phee had taken to either staying with Karla and Saul or Will and I, so she didn't get lonely.

"So, what did you get Will for his birthday?" Phee asked me at lunch. We were sat out in the garden, watching Monty lollop through the newly lain grass.

"It's his birthday?" I squealed, dropping my sandwich to the floor. It was ham, so Monty wasted no time in pulling the meat out and eating.

"You didn't know?"

"No!" I exclaimed. I'd been so wrapped up in the house that I didn't even know what day it was. Will was born on the 10th, which meant my own birthday was a little over a week away, and I hadn't even realised that. I'd left so early this morning, that Will was still in bed when I drove off.

"I'm a terrible girlfriend." I groaned.

"No, you're not, you just got caught up. It happens to us all, and you can salvage this!"

"But how?" I wailed. I hadn't even got him a gift, and what could I possibly buy the man who had everything when I was on a limited budget myself?

"Well, there was this book I read once…" Phee began. I listened intently, a smile forming on my face. Maybe this birthday could be salvaged after all.

XXX

"Hey, baby." Will shouted as he came through the door.

"I'm the kitchen. Happy Birthday!" I called, as I heard him shut the door behind him and lock it. He laughed.

"Thanks. I thought you'd forgot!" He wandered through to the kitchen, and his jaw dropped as he saw me.

"How could I forget?" I lied through my teeth, with a saccharine smile. I was cooking his favourite meal: steak with home- made chips, although I was cooking them whilst wearing my skimpiest underwear.

"Sit." I instructed him, pointing to the table I'd laid out. He followed my instructions dumbly

"Should I get undressed too?" I noticed his eyes hadn't yet managed to find my face, and were instead buried in my cleavage.

"Maybe later." I winked, tossing the onions, before dishing up the two plates and carrying them to the table. I set mine down first before coming over to Will to give him his. He'd already loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt.

"Happy birthday, baby." He pulled me so I was sat on top of him after I put his plate down, and kissed me thoroughly. He pulled at his tie, but I stopped him, pulling away.

"Ah, ah, ah. Presents come after dinner." I slid off him, and went and sat in my own place. He ate his dinner very quickly after that, to my amusement. I savoured mine, watching how his eyes narrowed as I brought my tongue out to pull a piece of steak off my fork.

"Is it present time now?" He asked impatiently, as I set my cutlery down and took a languid sip of my wine.

"Not until I'm finished." I laughed as he pouted. "But you can open this." I bent under the table and passed him a small gift bag and card, while I finished off. I was very low on cash at the minute, despite the fact that Will kept telling me to use the joint account he'd set up, so I was hoping he liked the home-made touch.

He opened the card, barely glancing at it before plunging his hand into the gift bag and tearing at the paper. He looked at me, confused, as he took in the glass mason jar full of coloured pieces of paper labelled: 'Alexis coupons'.

Unhooking the lid, he pulled out the first slip. It was yellow.

"Meal out. Your choice, I pay." He read out. He delved back in and pulled out a green slip.

"Get out of washing up free card." He grinned at that one, and kept pulling slips out.

The slips were colour coded. Yellow was for meals out on me, green was for household chores, brown was for day trips, blue was for making me come home earlier, pink was for making whatever he wanted for tea, orange was for breakfast in bed, and the metallic slips meant that they were good for anything be desired- a freebie.

"You can cash them in at any time, but you can only use them once." I'd made about sixty cards in total. He'd just pulled out a red slip, and his jaw dropped as he read what it said. Red, I was pretty sure, was going to be his favourite coloured slip.

"Do you mean this?" He asked, grinning as he showed me what it said. I grinned and nodded.

"That's probably the least daring one, actually." His jaw dropped, but he recovered, tipping the jar's contents out onto the table and searching through until he'd found all the red ones. I liked the way he shifted in his chair as he read them, and I smiled into my wine.

"You like?" I asked, spearing a chip and bringing it to my mouth.

"Very much." His eyes were full of lust, and they betrayed his appreciation more than his thanks.

"Can I cash this one?" He asked, showing me the first red coupon he'd found. He came over and handed it to me. I read it, 'Strip'. I plucked it from his fingers and ripped it in half.

"Wish granted." I smiled.

XXX

Will took a great liking to his coupon jar. The red coloured cards, as I'd predicted, were by far his favourite, although he had used the others too.

"Can I have these for every holiday?" Will asked as we lay in bed. He'd just used up another of his red coupons.

"They can be a special birthday tradition." I laughed and he pouted.

"But if you're good, we can add ones in?" I offered. I'd already caught him taping tokens together and putting them back in the jar in the hope I wouldn't notice. I'd caught him red- handed.

The coupons had been great until he'd decided to use one of the metallic 'freebie wishes' to let him buy me a new car, and get rid of my current one. After I'd decided I was staying in Colorado, I'd bought a cheap, second- hand car that was 10 years old, as I didn't want to spend money unnecessarily. Will had thrown a fit when he'd seen it because he declared it 'unsafe' since it didn't have airbags. He looked very smug when he knew I had no option but to accept it.

"Does it have to be that?" I asked. Unfortunately, he was adamant. "Even if I say I won't do the coupon jar ever again?" He considered it for a moment. I knew it would take a lot for him to give up those red coupons.

"Your safety is worth a hundred jars." He had me.

"Fine. Wish granted." I admitted, promptly tearing it in two. He was thrilled, and he next day, we went to a car dealership and drove off the forecourt with a brand new ford focus.

For my birthday the following week, Will handed me a card.

"It's not as good as what you got me- I'm not as imaginative as you, but happy birthday, sweetheart." I could tell by the look in his eye that he was thinking of the red coupons and I blushed. 'Strip' had been one of the most modest things the coupons offered.

Opening the card, I saw inside two return plane tickets to the U.K.

"One for you, and one for me." He explained. I threw myself into his arms and cried. I'd been missing my family recently, 'Van was expected to give birth any day now and I so wanted to meet my little niece or nephew.

I cashed them in in October to go and see baby Daniel Jack Anderson- the most beautiful blue- eyed baby in existence. He was so wonderful, that he even made me feel broody.

We spend Christmas in Colorado, but flew to the UK on the 28th of December, ready for Rach's wedding- they were part of Will's Christmas present to me, while I'd bought him a new pair of skis after I'd seen him eyeing them in the local village ski shop. Skiing was our favourite pastime, and while the snow was good and fresh Will and I spent practically every weekend on the slopes.

Rach's wedding was gorgeous- it snowed for the pictures, and her and Dan looked the picture of young love. Alice and Soren were present too as Alice was good friends with Rachel, and the family enjoyed getting to know him a bit more. With a vet, two doctors, and a trainee dentist, we were very well cared for health- wise.

When we got back to Colorado, I threw myself back into working on the retreat. We just about got most of the decorating done and the place plumbed, heated and with working electricity. Selling it now would make us a large profit on what we'd bought it for, but we weren't tempted.

Come April, it was time for the annual soulfinder convention, which was to be held in Quebec this year. All the Benedicts attended, and they had amped up security this year, with Soren rendering everyone but the Benedicts' gifts useless, meaning people couldn't cause all that much trouble if they tried. Hopefully, we wouldn't get any more Gregory characters this year. Will seemed nervous all day at the event. I was sat with him, checking people and handing out badges whilst he was working to spot danger.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked him for what must have been the fiftieth time that morning. Xav snorted from my other side, and he covered his face with his hand when Will glared at him. He and Crystal had married a month ago in Venice and had just got back from their honeymoon, looking very tanned and relaxed.

"I'm fine." He assured me. "I'm just going to go and get some water." He stood and headed to the staff area.

"Hey, Will." I called. "Don't worry, I won't run off this year."

"You better not. I'd catch you anyway." I believed that for sure. I knew he'd go to the ends of the earth to find me if he had to.

While people went in for the video to explain the day's proceedings Will pulled me aside and asked if I'd like to go for a walk with him; it was all rather odd. He was acting very strangely, but I couldn't work out why. The venue this year was way out in the countryside as the Net decided this year to keep it out of the way; the less questions from curious non-savants, the better.

"Have you been re-using coupons again?" I asked him as we walked.

"What? No! Why do you ask?"

"You're acting funny." He scratched his head, and I thought he was about to come clean.

"No- I" He took a deep breath. "Alexis, I love you." He took my hand in his. "And I've got an important question to ask you." He got down on one knee, metallic coupon wish in one hand, and a diamond ring in the other. "Will you marry me?"

I clapped my hand over my mouth and nodded, seemingly incapable of speech. "Is that a yes?" I nodded again and he grinned, slipping the ring into place on my left hand.

"So this is why you were acting weird?" He nodded. "I thought you said I got a year." I teased, remembering the deal we'd made nearly a year ago.

"Yeah, well I couldn't wait that long."

"I didn't want to wait any longer either." I admitted, and he kissed me soundly.

I could hear the whoops and cheers behind us and I looked to see the whole family stood watching us. I buried my face in his chest.

"She said yes!" He cried, punching the air with his fist.

That wasn't all the drama at the convention that year. Tess went into early labour, and baby Prudence was born that evening, who later became firm friends with her cousin, Henry, who was born two months before to Rory and Vic.

xxx

I hope you enjoyed- this was one of my favourite chapters to write! Only the epilogue is left now, and it will be up once we hit 590 reviews, or next week. Thank you to every single person who has reviewed this story- without you, I would never have written it. X


	47. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Will and I were married in a small ceremony in Wrickenridge in the August of 2015, just a few months after he proposed. It was an intimate affair, with only our close family and friends present for the big day at the local church. We'd gone for a soft blue colour scheme, which fitted with the balmy sunny weather.

I'd opted for a fitted dress with a tight bodice and straps that covered my shoulders. From my waist, the material flowed outwards until it reached the floor. On my feet were a pair of very expensive high heeled Louboutin's, which had come courtesy of Alice. I'd been wearing them round the house to make sure I didn't fall on the big day, something which Will found very amusing, especially when Monty stole my shoe and I was hobbling around after him, trying to get it back.

Rach, Alice, 'Van and Phee were my bridesmaids, whilst Will had had all of his brothers and Jack as his groomsmen. Jack and 'Van's son, Daniel was the pageboy, and 'Van wheeled him down the aisle in a little customised cart I'd made for him, which the congregation loved. The cart was filled with confetti, which he was supposed to scatter down the aisle, like his mother was doing, but he'd instead decided to eat it. Rach gave me a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek, before she walked to the front. My dad took her place, linking my arm through his, and resting his hand on mine.

"Don't let me fall, Dad." I whispered, as I clung to his arm and teetered in my heels, my other hand clutching my bouquet. I didn't know how or why I'd managed to let Alice convince me to wear them- they were a death trap, no matter how much practice I had.

"I'd never let you fall." He assured me, as we watched Alice, my last bridesmaid, disappear down the aisle with a great big grin on her face. Soren was sat with Mum somewhere at the front of the congregation. Mum had cried for the majority of the day; at breakfast, when I put my dress on, and when she gave me one last hug before she took her seat.

"You seem too young to be getting married. It only seems like yesterday that you were small enough to fit in my arms." He reminisced, and I smiled softly.

"I'll always be your little girl, daddy."

"You will." He agreed. The music changed, and I took a deep breath. It was time. We took our cue and headed slowly down the aisle. I kept my eyes fixed on my feet, my arm locked in my dad's. I could feel the stems of the flowers in my bouquet were beginning to disintegrate, I was gripping them so tightly. One foot, then the other. I glanced up, and saw Will; he'd turned to face us as we walked, a bright grin on his face. My feet moved faster after that, but it still felt like forever before Dad placed my hand in Will's; a gesture as old as time. I squeezed it tight and we smiled dopily at one another.

_I love you._

_I love you more. _I countered, pressing myself closer to his side as we waited for the vicar to begin the ceremony.

It was the start of our forever.

Our kiss may have gone on slightly longer than was appropriate for a family ceremony, and Will may have kissed me before the vicar told him to, but we broke away, grinning from ear to ear, my cheeks a particularly unflattering shade of red. The reception was held in the grounds of the hotel- we'd hired a massive gazebo for the lawns, and some caterers. It was a low- key, but classy affair. Well, classy, until my mother, after one too many shots, started slut-dropping in the middle of the dance floor. Everyone, bar her three children, thought it the highlight of the evening.

After dancing the night away we headed off to the airport the next day for our honeymoon. Since I'd done a lot of the wedding planning, Will had planned it, and he'd kept it a secret. I only knew where we were going when we landed, and Alice had packed my case, so I wasn't even sure what sort of climate we were heading for.

We honeymooned in the Bahamas for two weeks after the ceremony in the most beautiful villa, located right on the beachfront. The sand was white and the sea was clear blue- it was idyllic. We went scuba diving, rock climbing, and swam with dolphins, although Will's favourite activity took place inside the villa, and even on the beach once when we were feeling adventurous. It was one of the best two weeks I'd ever had, and I didn't want to leave when our time there came to an end.

When we returned, it was Will's birthday, and he was thrilled to be given another mason jar full of coupons. He'd spent all of last year's coupons by April, so I wondered if this year he was going to use them a little more sparingly. His enthusiasm at the jar indicated that it may not be the case, however. I was pretty sure they would be all gone by Christmas, the way he was going!

The retreat was going well too- business was booming, since the hotel's completion. 'Alenix' was now a five star rated hotel, fitted with all the mod- cons in existence. Tourists flocked for day trips at the spa, and to take part in all the activities we offered. We had to set weeks where only savants were allowed (claiming to the public that we were totally booked that week), but for the rest of the time, it was open to the general public. I loved it; especially enjoying the perks of being able to use all of our facilities for free.

In mid-October, while Will was away in Dublin on a business trip, I came down with a bad case of tonsillitis, and was on antibiotics for the week. Karla came to look after me, since I felt so unwell that I could barely leave the bed, meaning Phee had to run the hotel by herself for the week, something she handled with her usual effortlessness. She filled me with home- made soup, chocolate and other goodies. Thankfully, I was back on my feet with nothing but a sore throat within a few days, and able to get back to work.

In the weeks before Christmas, I was ill again, vomiting every morning, and running to the nearest loo every time I smelt the merest hint of garlic. Will made me go to visit the doctors after I'd thrown up for the third morning in a row, since I could no longer pass it off as a mild stomach bug.

I went that morning- Will dropped me off on his way to Denver, since I was meeting a contractor in Wrickenridge later that morning, and he was convinced I wouldn't actually go unless he dropped me there himself. Once booked in, I explained my symptoms to the doctor, expecting for her to pass my symptoms off as a virus; such were common at this time of year.

"Mrs Benedict, when was your last period?" She gripped her clipboard tightly in her hands, and peered over her glasses at me.

"I don't know." I admitted, thinking back. I was always pretty regular, but with the retreat and everything else going on I'd lost track.

"We'll do a test." She said kindly, noticing my shell-shocked expression. "We'll have your results tomorrow." I couldn't wait that long. I went to the local drug store and bought two of every pregnancy test I could see, cancelling my appointment with the contractor. When I got to work, I locked myself in the staff loo and waited with bated breath.

The official results confirmed what my own results had already shown. I was pregnant. I went to see the doctor the next day, and she did a proper exam, estimating that I was a month and a half along.

"But how?" I asked her. I'd always been meticulous with contraception- my mum was a GP for God's sake! I had taken all of my pills on time. Why had they failed me? With the retreat in its first year, I didn't want to be taking time out to have a baby- I'd wanted to wait another year at least, while we got properly into the swing of things. Plus, I had no idea what Will would say.

"What contraception do you use?"

"The pill."

"Have you had to take a course of antibiotics lately?"

"I had to have some when I had tonsillitis in October."

"Ah." She smiled. "Mrs Benedict, antibiotics affect the effectiveness of the pill." I left the surgery with a sonogram, in a state of shock. I didn't know quite how to tell Will. Every time I tried to bring it up, I just couldn't find the words. Instead, I passed it off to Will as being suspected food poisoning. I wasn't entirely sure he believed it, but when he pressed the matter, I distracted him with red coupons- the exact reason we'd gotten into this mess!

On Christmas eve, we were curled up on the sofa watching Christmas films, before heading to the Benedict family home tomorrow for Christmas day. It was our first Christmas together, so we were making our own traditions. So far, we'd decided that the tree was to go up on the first weekend in December, and that we should both have Christmas Eve off to spend with each other as a family.

"Lex?" Will asked mid-way through the film.

"Hmmm"

"I was just thinking the other day." He twiddled with a piece of my hair- he loved wrapping the curls tightly around his finger and watching them ping back into place when he pulled them. "How would you feel about trying for a baby? I mean I know we're busy, but we're always going to be busy and-" I stood up from the sofa, and grabbed a gift from under the tree. "Lex, we don't have to, I was just thinking-"

"Open it." I instructed. Confused, he did as I asked. Inside was the sonogram- I'd framed it, and had planned to tell him tomorrow morning. Since I couldn't find the words, I figured this was the next best thing.

"Are you serious?" He asked, looking up at me with a grin of disbelief.

"A month and a half along. My antibiotics meant that my pill failed."

He kissed me soundly, before lifting up my shirt to run his fingers along my stomach reverently.

"Hey, little one, I'm your Daddy." I smiled, my eyes watering. "We need to get Xav to check you over." I rolled my eyes, of course he was going to be one of those expectant fathers.

We announced we were expecting once I moved into my second trimester, and everyone was delighted for us, with my mum insisting that we came over to visit them in the UK as soon as the baby was born so that they could meet their new grandchild. I was not looking forward to that plane journey, but I couldn't refuse her. I just hoped our baby looked better than the one she'd emailed to me using the same software she'd created Jack and 'Van's baby with.

Will came to all my doctor's appointments from then on, and made sure Xav checked me regularly. I remembered vividly his disbelief when we found out that we were actually having twins. I think Xav had known we were having twins ever since he'd seen me when we announced we were pregnant, but he'd kept it a secret- making us feel like we were the two who had actually found out first, and I was grateful for that. With that announcement, nursery preparation began in earnest. Will converted two of the spare rooms, which were decorated neutrally since we didn't know the sex of either of the babies.

Will had banned me from skiing when he found out we were expecting, something I wasn't very happy about to say the least. In February, I only had a little bump, and I'd snuck off to ski one morning when he was at the gym. I had only planned on doing a couple of runs, but I'd got carried away, and ended up spending a couple of hours in the slopes. There was nothing quite like the way skiing made me feel; gliding across the snow, the adrenaline of conquering a mogul field, and the spectacular views. Will did not share my views on skiing while pregnant. He caught me at the bottom of the slope and was furious, calling me irresponsible and reckless. He took my skis and boots away and locked them at his work in Denver for the rest of the season. I smashed his coupon jar in response.

We made up that evening, when I stubbornly realised that he was only concerned for both my health and our children's, even thought I had only been on the least strenuous runs, but I hated being treated like an ornament. I replaced his coupons and he promised he'd buy me some new skis for the next season. He got rewarded with extra red tokens for that (more for my benefit than his- my pregnancy hormones were driving me wild, and Will could barely keep up).

I skipped the convention that year, since I was put on bed rest by the doctor. Will hadn't gone either, since he refused to leave me when I was in such a state. He worked from home during those months, bringing me food, and trying to keep me entertained, which wasn't easy when I was usually such an active person. Staying in bed all day doing nothing did not suit me, but it did mean I got a lot of administrative hotel work done. Since the business was growing, Phee and I had had to hire more staff, which took the pressure off both of us, and made running the place a lot more enjoyable.

My two months of bed rest was very frustrating, but so worth it when, in early June, Isla and George entered the world healthy, after a long, drawn out labour in which all three of us nearly died. I'd never seen Will looked so scared, the Collector was nothing compared to that, according to him.

George had my curly hair, and Isla had my nose, but aside from that they were both carbon copies of Will. They were adorable, and instantly had us both wrapped completely around their fingers. We spent many nights just watching them in total awe- we had created these perfect, tiny humans and they were all ours! Since I couldn't bear to leave them both, Karla, or Will if he was working from home, looked after them in the mornings once my maternity leave was over, but I'd have them after lunch.

Elinor gave birth to a baby boy called Angus a few days after me, and I was convinced that he was Isla's soulfinder. Will wasn't so enthusiastic about that idea, and frowned every time I mentioned it. Apparently, Isla wasn't allowed to date until she was at least 30, but I was sure I could change his mind.

Two years later we welcomed Lily into our family, and another two years after that Leo was born. Thankfully, both of those pregnancies were much better than the twins'- I didn't think Will's nerves would have survived another rough pregnancy; he went totally white when I told him I was pregnant for the second time.

We were a family of seven (when you included Monty, who the kids all adored), and our house was full of love and laughter.

I wrapped my arms around Will as we watched our children chase Monty, who had lived to a ripe old age for a Labrador, around the garden. Life was good, and life with your soulfinder was even better.

**IT'S DONE! Thank you to everyone who's ever read, reviewed, favourited or followed this story- your support was invaluable. ****I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed sharing Will and Alexis' journey with you.**


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